At the Edge of the Water
by autobotgirl12328
Summary: A long time ago, the squids took someone, for this Sky could never forgive them. Just as with everyone in the Army, the past has a way of returning, not always for better or for worse. [5th book in the 'Sky Army' Series]
1. Prologue

Prologue

The day was cloudless, a pleasant breeze passing through, and a gorgeous sun leaving the air a nice warm without the mugginess common of summer. There were only two things you could do on a day like this: stay inside all day in a dark room playing video games or go outside and enjoy the sun. Since they lived so close to the beach side, it was the latter, not that Adam appreciated. Dawn had convinced him to go the day before, but it ended strangely. He wanted to consider it a bad dream but going back today seemed to make the dream that more true.

He sat on the bus next to her, trying to work up the courage to talk about yesterday's strange meeting. Instead, he got lost looking at her, smiling lightly. Her hair was dyed purple and pink, straight down the middle. Her short-sleeved blue top fitted around her chest perfectly conforming to her body shape. Her small red gloves matched her red belt and shoes. Adam kicked his shoes against the seat, thinking about how closely their shoes matched. Before he could bring the idea up, the bus came to a stop.

"C'mon, Adam, this is it!" she cheered, grabbing him by the arm.

"Calm down, Dawn. I'm coming!" he chuckled, being dragged behind.

The beach was fairly empty, which was odd considering the weather. The water was a lovely shade of blue, foaming as it brushed up against the sand, dragging a few grains back into the ocean. Dawn was quick to run down the stone steps, dashing through the sand. Her footsteps left imprints, which Adam followed carefully. She flopped down near the shore, knees pulled in and toes barely touching the tide. Adam sat next to her.

"Don't lose your shoes this time," he commented.

"I won't," she nodded.

"You said that last time."

She giggled, and he blushed. Her hair got caught in the wind, swaying and fluttering across her face. She brushed it aside, looking into his eyes. His blush grew brighter, forcing him to look away. He couldn't quite handle her sometimes

"Let's go for a swim!" she shouted, jumping to her feet.

"What!" he gasped.

She rolled up her pants.

"C'mon, Adam, you were all for this yesterday. It'll be fun, and the water's probably cooler than the beach."

"I just…I was thinking maybe we could go get lunch and bring it back like a little picnic," he mumbled, standing up.

"Fine. Don't swim. At least get your feet wet," she hummed, stepping into the water.

Adam's stomach took a leap. He gulped, taking a small step into the water.

"I heard there were sharks," he offered, trying to think of something scarier than squids.

"We were here yesterday! Where did these sharks come from and so recent too?" she giggled, moving deeper into the water. "What are you so afraid of?"

Adam rolled his eyes, stepping into the water gently. It was just a bad dream. It meant nothing. Dawn laughed, watching Adam slowly wade into the water. She leaned back, beginning to float a little.

"See, it won't bite."

"Right," Adam stuttered.

Dawn smiled, standing up again. Adam watched her face change from a smile to a small open mouth. Her eyes widened as she looked down into the water.

"What…what is it!?" Adam gasped.

"Something's got my leg. I can't move it!" she called after.

Without warning, she was dragged into the water. Adam let out a yelp, diving into the water. Everything seemed to blur after that. Something grabbed onto his arms, dragging him downward. He could hardly see her apart from her bright hair and even that seemed to fade into the water's depths. Adam let out a gurgled cry as he stomped down of the creature's face. The grip was released, and he rushed up.

Air was a gift as he reached the surface. The sky seemed to have darkened. It almost looked like rain. Adam paddled toward the shore, feeling his arm and leg burn. Upon arriving at the shore, he saw the marks left from the tight grip that had once held him. He panted. He couldn't get enough air.

"Dawn…" he whispered, looking up.

The water was calm, peaceful. Not a single bubble reached the surface. The sound of crashing waves fell under the sudden roar of thunder. A single drop fell from the sky. Adam got to his feet, feeling the sting of the marks on his leg. It was nothing compared to the panic currently surging though him. He cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Dawn!" he called, listening to it echo across the landscape.

There was no answer. It began to downpour. He was soaking and cold, limbs burning. He stood there for hours, continuing to call out. No one answered. No one ever did.


	2. Aquaphobia

Chapter 1: Aquaphobia

I had put it off for such a long time that I had completely forgotten about it until Quentin confronted me about it. As the Sky Army is in a rather inactive war with the squids, there is a requirement that surpasses a majority of the training. Every recruit needs to know how to swim. Most of the time, it'll suffice just to be able to float. The higher ranked you are, the more likely you'll be required to know how to actually swim, better than a doggie paddle. Only Jerome is allowed to doggie paddle, mostly because no one can teach him otherwise.

So, here I am in an old swimsuit, I only bring out once every year, standing on the edge of the pool. I hadn't been in this room since Quentin and I had been abducted. Maybe that's why I had been avoiding this room for so long. I felt uncomfortable standing here, covering my chest as if someone could see through my suit. It was freezing or at least I was. I felt stupid waiting for Quentin to come in and give me the test.

"Sorry, sorry," Quentin gasped, rushing in. He fiddled with his tie. "Got caught up in an argument."

"With?" I hummed, pulling myself in closer. I don't know why I felt so stupid.

"Yeah, sorry about dragging you into this…I, uh, understand why you might have been avoiding this," he gulped, pulling out a notepad. "You know the usual. Get in and, well, swim."

I gulped again, stepping over to the pool's ladder. I don't know why I felt so uncomfortable; it was just some water. It wasn't even open water or anything. It was just some contained water. Why did I even care? I sat down, dipping my feet into the pool. It was freezing or maybe that was just me.

"No!"

I perked, looking toward the entrance. Quentin grinned lightly, putting his notebook into his inside pocket. Throwing the doors of the poolroom open, Sky came busting in. He snarled, glasses barely on his nose. He stepped right up to Quentin, glaring at him. The mudkip crossed his arms, nodding lightly.

"Hello again, Adam," he smirked.

"We go over this every year…" Sky sighed, readjusting his glasses. "I. Am not. Taking. The swimming test."

Ty entered soon after, gently shutting the doors. He appeared to be deep into a conversation over his headset. Sky and Quentin didn't seem to notice him step up behind them. I continued dangling my feet in the water, apparently being completely invisible to the three now.

"We do go over this every year, Adam," chuckled Quentin, "and every year, we manage to get you in that pool."

"This is a mandatory test, Adam. You required it," Ty chimed in, tapping on his headset. "Damn, comm sets."

"What now?" grumbled Sky, glancing at Ty.

"System is having a bit of a hiccup," Ty nodded, tapping on his headset again. "Can I see your phone?"

"Right," sighed Sky, reaching into his pocket. "Seriously, fish, can't we just postpone this?"

"I don't know," shrugged Quentin. "I've been trying to go over everyone quickly but I can't seem to finish it as quick as I'd like."

"Adam, phone," repeated Ty, holding out his hand.

"Right, right," perked Sky, handing his phone over.

"Perfect," grinned Ty. "Enjoy your test."

With that, he gave Sky a mighty shove. Without warning, Sky toppled over, landing in the pool with a great shove. The splash was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. It wrapped around his body, forming a small droplet around him as it consumed him into the pool's water. The sound was something as well, like the clap of thunder. After a moment of silence, he reemerged from the water, glasses lost. His eyes were narrowed, directed straight at Ty.

"And every year, we manage to get you in the pool," smiled Quentin, clicking a pen and pulling the notebook out from his jacket.

Ty shrugged, leaving. Sky slowly swum to the pool's edge, getting out a dripping wet sack. His glasses remained floating in the pool. They looked free. Sky growled as he passed me, marching up to Quentin. The mudkip didn't flinch as Sky stood right up close so they were practically touching. I wanted to interject, but I was just mesmerized by their intimacy.

"See you next year?" Quentin grinned. "Same time, same place?"

"You owe me a dry cleaning," he snarled, storming off.

Quentin laughed, waving Sky off. The door closed gently behind him. Quentin chuckled again, turning around. He seemed almost surprised to see me still here, kicking my feet in the water. He shook his head, flipping through his notebook. I offered a wave.

"Where were we?" he nodded.

"I was just about to get in the water, I think," I shrugged.

"We can…put this off, I mean," mumbled Quentin, looking around. "I didn't expect Sky to stop by today after all."

"I can fetch his glasses," I hummed, slowly slipping into the water. It didn't feel all that cold anymore. "Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"That's a great start to a question," he replied.

"Who…Do you know anything about…Dawn?" I fumbled with the words, grabbing Sky's glasses.

Since the conversation with Lewis, all I could think about was Dawn. I knew so little about someone who turned out to be the very reason we were here. I was just hoping to know a little bit more about her.

Quentin paused, looking up from his notebook. He took in a deep breath before returning his gaze to his notebook.

"Dawn, huh?" he gulped. "What do you know about her?"

"When I first got here…Jerome and Mitch told me a story about her. The reason Sky is against the squids and all that."

"I don't know very much about her, to be honest," he nodded, kneeling beside the water. "I heard about her from Jason who heard it from Ty who heard it from Adam. Adam won't talk about her, not anymore. Ty was probably the lucky one, meeting Adam so early that he actually talked about it."

"Was she nice, you think?" I sighed. "Was she pretty?"

"I don't. I wish I knew," he smirked. "Knowing Adam, I bet she was amazing."


	3. The Beginning of a Dream

A/N

1\. School Sucks.

2\. I plan on starting a sister series involving the Yogscast, which will be very similar to this series (female recruit joining secret organization). This series will go more into mods, game modes, and more about the history of Minecraftia. The first book will be called "Another Legend for Another Day." Coming soon (Hopefully)

3\. School Sucks.

Chapter 2: The Beginning of a Dream

Since the awakening of Herobrine, my dreams have become synced, but more so the same repeatedly every night. At first, it was disconnecting. After countless nights of it, I was unsettled. The dream wasn't exactly complex. It consisted of a darkened sky, an open grove surrounded by an endless forest, and a small beam of light striking the center of the clearing. It was mesmerizing and yet deterring. I didn't know whether to engage it or run from it. So, I merely stared at it, night after night, in awe of it, and night after night the voices from the woods grew louder, chanting and calling out for blood. My blood.

"Don't be startled, Jane."

He was there, the boy from before. He was older now, more so a man than a boy. He was still dressed in his blue shirt and jeans. His hair was slightly more frayed, and there appeared to be a large scar across his left cheek. As the nights wore on, he grew closer to me, eventually coming to place a hand on my shoulder. It was oddly comforting and felt so real. It all felt so real.

"What is it?" I whispered.

This was the night I was going to do something. Anything. I didn't care by this point.

"It's…the beginning."

"That makes no sense," I replied.

He chuckled.

"I suppose that isn't much to go on, is it?"

"What is it?" I repeated.

"It's…the origin. The beginning of Minecraftia."

I turned to him, the first time I'd moved in this dream since it started.

"The origin?"

"The coordinates: 0,0,0. From here, the world branches out. This is the heart of everything."

"Why…why am I here?"

"Like I said, this is the beginning. It's only fitting this is where it ends as well."

I felt a chill run down my spine. The sky seemed to swirl, making the wind pick up around the trees. The leaves shuddered, forming a crashing sound as they desperately clung to their branches. I felt everything get colder. I could see my breath. The man seemed unfazed.

"I never expected to see you again, boy."

The voice lingered in my ears, as I felt unable to move. I could hardly breath.

"You have no power here, Herobrine."

I could see the demon directly in front of me, past the beam of light. His hands were in his pocket and it almost seemed as if he rolled his eyes as the comment the man posed. I felt the presence on my shoulder gently lift off.

"No power, you say? Well, not physically, but mentally…well, everyone has a breaking point, now don't they?"

"Don't listen to him, Jane," the other scoffed. "He's just full of hot air."

"Mind your manners, boy," snarled Herobrine. "You and I aren't all that different these days."

It settled in my mind how close the two were. Beyond close, they were identical in almost every way. Herobrine's eyes being white and the scar on the man's face seemed to be the only differences between the two. I gulped, finally swallowing some of my pent up fear. It didn't help all that much.

"Now, now, run along and let the big boys play," Herobrine chuckled, waving off the boy.

"I am no longer a child, Herobrine," he called, standing his ground. "Or have you forgotten who defeated you last time?"

Herobrine hissed at this statement, fire rising up around him. The heat in the area escalated quickly. The trees began burning and yet the grove continued to be lit by the soothing lit from the origin.

"You haven't changed at all, boy," Herobrine eventually chuckled, motioning the flames away. "I have missed these engaging conversations."

"I had hoped you were dead," groaned the other, "but I'm sure that will be remedied shortly."

"Ha! You hopeless fool! Things are just getting started!" Herobrine howled with laughter. "Plan A…has already begun."

"Plan A?" I finally mustered a word.

"She speaks at last," Herobrine scoffed. "Not that it matters."

He looked directly at me. I felt his soulless eyes pierce me. His grin bore sharpened teeth.

"Tell your precious army…that no one is safe."

I awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for air and gripping my sheets. Ashley was hard asleep in the bed adjacent to mine. She hardly stirred as I sat in bed. I couldn't close my eyes. I was scared. I didn't know what else to say, to think. I didn't know what to do.


	4. Copy Cat

Chapter 3: Copy Cat

There's an officer lounge near the upper levels, which is rarely used. Typically, it is used as a method of escaping. I've seen Mitch and Jerome use it as a means of escaping recruits who are a little too hands on. Sky uses it to hide more often than anyone else. Occasionally, its used when someone is too tired to do anything else. I was given a key to it after the last adventure when I was run ragged. It was a means of apology. I don't really like using it, mostly because I worry my friends are beginning to grow jealous of my relationship with the others.

Today, however, with the night I had prior, I chose to use it for a quick nap. It took some time to get used to the room and lumpy couch. Soon, enough though, I fell asleep. I don't know how long I slept but I woke to the sound of Ty screaming in a way I had not heard before. I sat up quickly, very alert of my surroundings. Ty was standing directly in front of the television. His hand clenched the remote so hard his knuckles turned white and his hand shook.

"Ty, what's wrong!" I gasped, jumping to my feet.

"Im…possible…" he stuttered.

With a sudden burst of energy, he threw the remote aside and rushed out of the room. I didn't know whether to follow him or see what he was looking at. Glancing at the TV, I found it to be a broken old flat screen. The news was on. The reporters seemed to be full of life, deep in discussion. I could hardly hear them talking but it seemed they were talking about a string of crimes. Finding this unhelpful, I decided to go find where Ty had run off.

I followed his reckless trail across the base until he eventually busted into Sky's office. Quentin was in there as well but their conversation ended as soon as Ty entered. I stood against the doorway panting, though I don't think any of the three knew I was there.

"Have you been anywhere in the last twenty-four hours!" Ty shouted.

"Huh?" Sky murmured.

"Have you left this base in the last day!"

"Uh…no…"

"Meeting. Now."

Ty quickly ran back out, tapping his headset. I watched him storm down the hall, turning sharply. I looked back toward Sky and Quentin. We were all at a complete loss.

"What just happened?" commented Quentin, looking to Sky.

"I'm not sure but I think we're going to find out," shrugged Sky, rounding his desk.

Ty had organized a meeting quickly. It included Sky, Quentin, Jerome, Mitch, Seto, Jason, Ty and myself. I'm not sure if this was the intended cast for the meeting or Ty simply grabbed whoever happened to cross his path while he marched here, but no one was willing to bring it up. We all simply took our seats and waited. Ty was in a heated discussion with someone over his headset, but eventually it ended.

"Sky, you swear you haven't left this base in the last two days?" Ty repeated, looking over at Sky at the other end of the table.

"No, sir," Sky grinned. "Why?"

Ty let out a deep groan, lowering his head. A moment of silence before he finally reared his head back up and spun around to turn on the monitor on the far wall. Turning to face it, we were greeted with a recorded news feed from earlier, no doubt the one that Ty was watching when he lost it.

"If you haven't heard…we have a report about the mysterious Sky Army leader attacking…"

Ty quickly paused it, glancing at Sky against. Sky's mouth hung open, eyes staring at the screen. Jerome leapt over the table, grabbing the remote from Ty and hitting play again.

"…in a small town just outside of Capital City. No one was killed but many were injured. There is no information on his current whereabouts and…"

Ty snatched the remote back, turning off the program. Everyone turned to face Sky who was still entirely glued to the screen. You could see his reflection in the now blank surface, forming an endless echo between the monitor and his glasses.

"I…I…I…" he eventually muttered but that's all he could manage to say.

"I've already got media covered. Every image and video are…mysteriously gone. As for the news itself, I'm hoping to bury it under something more…interesting. Yogscast are offering their aid on this one," Ty explained, tapping on his tablet on the table. "It'll all mean absolutely nothing if we can't find out who did this."

"Was it some…hater?" Quentin offered.

"A double ganger?" perked Jerome.

"An evil twin?" chimed in Mitch.

"Yes, because a long lost evil twin makes complete sense," mocked Seto, rolling his eyes.

"You got a better idea?" snapped Jerome and Mitch.

"A clone," shrugged Seto, grinning lightly. None of us could tell if he was being serious or not.

"I've already sent some scouts over there to investigate," Ty continued. "Sky, is there anything you want to add?"

Sky slowly spun around to face the rest of us. He gulped, shaking his head.

"I…I don't know. I know I didn't do that stuff…" Sky groaned. "But…I don't think…I don't think I have an evil twin…"

Jerome and Mitch exchanged looks. They had a comment but chose not to share.

"We'll figure this out. In the meantime, Sky Army will keep a low profile in every sense of the word," Ty nodded. "This…never leaves this room."

The group nodded. A majority of the crew left, talking quietly among each other. Sky remained, eyes on the table, hands together, no doubt deep in thought. Ty was again on his headset, tapping on his tablet. I sat, unsure what I should be doing.

"Heh…Ty's pretty great at all this," Sky mumbled.

I looked over at him. His eyes were still on the table.

"Yeah, he sure is," I replied softly.

"I can't image getting this far without him," Sky nodded, looking up lightly. "It feels like we've been friends forever."

"I can image," I smiled. It felt like I had been with these guys forever. My old life seemed like a story of the distant past.

Sky chuckled lightly again, sitting up.

"I can't image being without everyone. They all…you all mean so much to me."

I simply smiled, not knowing how to respond.

"Well, I guess I should do my rounds," Sky yawned, getting to his feet. "You have work too, don't you?"

"Yeah, I've got some stuff…"

He looked around, taking in a deep breath. Giving me a slight nod, he left. I let out a long sigh.

"This will pass," Ty offered, patting me on the head as he passed. "Everything usually does."


	5. Blue Shadow

A/N

If you haven't seen my profile page, let me enlighten you. My computer crashed and I lost everything. The everything part you should care about is this and previous books but more importantly the layout for what is supposed to happen during this book and the future book. So, bear with me as I work through this again.

Chapter 4: Blue Shadow

Everything and everyone seemed to be on edge as of late. It was like the story about the double ganger Sky had spread, causing tension and distrust. The conversations were at a minimum, shifting gazes and rough body language. I didn't like being left alone in this sort of pressure. Luckily, neither does Jerome or Mitch. We would typically group up and move about together, sometimes though it would just be two of us while the third was working. It was a fairly good system. Only once did it fail. Mitch got stuck breaking up a fight between several recruits, which resulted in a black eye.

Going to meet up with Mitch at the infirmary, Jerome and I took one of the far halls, to avoid any other crowds that had likely formed. It was nice. Though dimly lit, it had a cozy vibe, almost relaxing. I could even see Jerome smile lightly. It was relaxing for me too. The only other person in the hall was another recruit walking in the opposite direction. I don't think I'd ever seen her before aside from chance passing. Jerome and I waved to her but she didn't respond. The tension was back.

"Something doesn't feel right," mumbled Jerome.

"Everyone seems on edge," I offered.

"Not that," he snarled, glancing over his shoulder.

I glanced over mine, only for Jerome to quickly to turn my head back. I groaned, feeling the slightest effect of whiplash. In my brief view of behind, I saw the girl we had passed just a second ago, this time she was following us. Her face seemed shadowed, shoulders squared, footsteps in sync with ours. It was like she was a completely different person.

"This seems kind of out of nowhere," I whispered.

"Well, life has been boring as of late," smirked Jerome, winking at me.

He spun around, charging at the girl. She hesitated but a moment, taking a few steps back. As he got closer to her, her startled persona shattered into defensive aggression. She charged forward, meeting Jerome halfway. He ducked under her punch, kicking one leg out from under her. As she fell forward, he grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back the other way, slamming her head down on the ground.

"Jerome! Stop!" I shouted.

"Try and catch me off guard," huffed Jerome, crossing his arms.

"Filthy, air breather," the girl snarled, leaping up.

She grabbed Jerome by the tie, head-butting him. He groaned, stumbling back. I decided this wasn't some misunderstanding on Jerome's part by this point. I jumped onto her, trapping her in a headlock. She gurgled, clawing at my arms. By this point, Jerome had regained his senses. He moved forward again, punching her in the stomach. She spat out something dark blue. I could feel the punch through her almost.

"Now what?" I whimpered, feeling the body go limp.

"Now…" groaned Jerome, ruffling the fur on his head, "Let's try Seto?"

Dragging the knocked-out recruit through the base was something interesting. No one said anything or did anything but everyone watched us. Eventually we made it to Seto's study. I'd never actually gone to his study personally. It was like stepping into a storybook. The walls were beautifully carved, curtains were satin, a violet carpet, wooden furniture with the softest cushions, and the most elegant aroma that wafted around the room.

"Yo, Seto!" howled Jerome, dropping the girl on the couch. "Something weird's happened!"

Seto peered in from a side room. He raised an eyebrow at us, glanced at the girl on couch, then ducked back into the side room. Jerome looked at me, narrowing his eyes. I shrugged. Giving a deep sigh, Seto stepped out from the side room, shutting the door behind him. He stepped up, rolling the girl over so she was facing up. He let out another sigh. Jerome looked at me again.

"Call Sky and the others," instructed Seto.

"Why?" Jerome snapped.

"Because, this is very interesting," grinned Seto, hands behind his back. "And beyond that, very important."

Jerome and I exchanged looks. The room was beginning to smell like wet dog.


	6. Take a Look in the Mirror

Chapter 5: Take a look in the mirror

It was weird, seeing another being in locked in a glass cage. She stood upright, eyes forward, mouth stern. Her skin was flaking, a bluish hue stretched down her face, appearing along her fingers. Her breathing was labored, shoulders shuttering, hands clenched. We were in a private room, no doubt intended to be a lab once upon a time. Nice and white, clean cut, gave me chills.

"What is she?" snarled Jerome, arms crossed.

"That's what I want to know," Ty nodded.

Our small company included Sky, Ty, Seto, Jerome, Mitch, Quentin, Jason, and myself. It seemed like we were forming a secret society. Most rumors were bound to spread now. Sky was the last one to arrive with Mitch in tow. The poor Canadian had an ice pack shoved up to his face. He didn't look very happy with anybody.

"What is this?" Sky gasped, tapping on the glass.

"Don't tap on the glass," snickered Jason.

"How long have you been holding that in?" grinned Sky.

"I was one of the first people here," Jason shrugged.

"What is it?" Mitch groaned.

"Seto?" perked Ty.

"It's a clone," grinned Seto, tapping the glass.

"A clone?" we spoke in confusion.

"Exactly," giggled Seto. "I can't speak for certain. This isn't my forte after all."

"How can you be certain then?" questioned Ty.

"Because I spotted the real Mary on the way here," Seto shrugged. "And this one appears to be degenerating."

The being snarled, pounding on the glass. Jerome couldn't help but tap on the glass, smiling lightly.

"So, we need someone more technical?" Quentin asked.

"I called Dan but it went straight to his friend," shrugged Seto. "Let's see if this little kid wants to tell us what's up?"

Another gentle tap on the glass. She pounded harder on the glass. Her skin was molting again, peeling off in layers, revealing more and more blue. Her eyes changed in color, turning dark. We stopped tapping, taking a step back.

"You filthy air breathers. You deserve everything that is coming to you!" she howled.

"Air breathers?" hissed Sky. "Squids."

She grinned, revealing sharpened teeth.

"Your world is ours, soon enough," she cackled.

"You're dying," instructed Seto. "We could help you. I scratch your back, you scratch mine?"

"Air breather," she snarled.

"Side note," Ty hummed, "this could explain the other Sky we saw."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sky perked, "I have a squid clone? How? When?"

"At some point, they must've gotten our DNA," Jason suggested.

"Again, how? When?" Sky repeated, crossing his arms.

"The last time we fought them," whispered Quentin.

"What?" gasped Jerome.

"The battle…when we picked up Jane. Some of us got hurt, you got captured, people were controlled," Quentin explained, "perfect chance for them to get DNA."

"So…they could have cloned all of us," whispered Mitch.

"Sky," Ty gulped. "We found the clone."

Silence fell. The clone in the glass had stopped pounding. Her breath had become slower. Her skin was almost entirely blue now, scaly and dry. I think she was dying. I wasn't sure if I wasn't thankful or sorrowful. Either way, it was happening and we weren't doing anything to stop it. Could we do anything to stop it?

"Let's get to the bottom of this," snarled Sky.

"I've already got a team staking out," Ty nodded. "Shall we?"

"Team," Sky spoke in a commanding voice I heard very rarely. "Let's do this!"


	7. Not for the faint of heart

A/N

In case anyone is interested, the sister series about the Yogscast has started called Another Legend for Another Day. This series will go more into game modes, mods, and minecraftia in general (minus Herobrine). It's got a few chapters already. No reviews. T-T Anyway, enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6: Not for the faint of heart

By the time we had arrived at the designated place, night had fallen. It was a crisp night, cloudy and dark, chilled by the eerie breeze. It was like the beginning of a horror movie. I felt my heart beating in my chest as we huddled together, packed behind some crates. A loading dock. Figures I'd somehow find myself back to a place like this. The memories just rolled off, giving me a lump in my throat. I could hardly move.

"You okay?"

I could barely hear Ty behind me but his voice was able to reach me. I gave a slight nod. My breathing was shuddered. I wasn't supposed to be here. I felt so out of place, sandwiched between Ty and Quentin. Jerome and Mitch held up the back of the group while Seto and Sky held up the front. I wasn't like them. I wasn't special. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though, I suppose, it could be looked at as right place at the right time. At the moment, I couldn't really decide which it was.

"Anything?" whispered Jerome, nudging Mitch.

This chain went all the way up to Sky. I could see his shoulders tense as he slowly looked back at the rest of the line. Everyone avoided eye contact. I heard whistling. It was kind of funny. I could practically feel the eyes roll in Sky's skull as he turned back forward. The line began shuffling around the box, moving to the main dock.

"Where's your team, Ty?" Sky huffed, glancing back.

"They said dock 5, warehouse C," instructed Ty.

We left our tight formation, rounding the line of boxes into the open area. We paused, taking in our surroundings. The concrete strip of land stretched out far until it wrapped around another corner. Several large warehouses were placed along the strip, each facing outward with their letter painted on in a thick layer of red ink. I was starting to see my breath.

"This one, over here," Ty pointed at one of the closer warehouses.

Our footsteps were the only sound in the night, aside from the echoes of water against the concrete block. Reaching the large doors, Ty pulled out a key. He glanced over at Sky before inserting it and opening the door. The large metal doors creaking and groaned as they opened, revealing a rather empty room. For that moment, all seemed well. Then the moment passed.

The smell was the first thing to kick in. It smelled of fish and rotten meat. Whether the two were connected was hard to determine. The overhead lights were flickering, broken and barely used. Every window was shattered. The sound of something dripping echoed. Seeing through the dark with each flicker of light, we saw the concrete floor covered in a mix of red and black. Shadowed figures and objects littered the ground. A shimmer of a broken golden blade rested, stabbed into the wall.

"What the hell…" Ty whispered, taking the first step into the building.

Ty and Mitch were equipped with flashlights. Seto set off an illumination spell. Together lighting the room enough for all of us. The red and black liquid along the ground showed a shoddy detail of battle taking place across the whole building, ending at the crumpled masses of three individuals and a fourth slumped against a wall. Ty fell to his knees.

"These were…" I could hear him choking on his words. "This was supposed a simple mission. No one was supposed to get hurt!"

"It isn't your fault," Sky tried to offer a hand on his shoulder but Ty quickly batted it away.

"What the hell happened here!?" he howled.

"We know what happened," Quentin whispered.

"What do we do?" Jerome gulped.

"Bury them," Sky spoke flatly. "Take them someplace safe and bury them."

"And the one who wasn't human?" Seto hummed, pointing at the body slumped against the wall.

"Sky?" sighed Mitch.

There was a moment of silence. Ty had gotten to his feet, storming up the fallen recruits. He was rearranging them, rolling them over so they were face up, lying them straight in a row. No one said anything. No one did anything. We didn't know what to do so we just watched. I didn't know them. I'm not sure anyone but Ty did. They looked young. Sky stepped toward the wall, kneeling beside the final body.

"Are any of them still alive?" Sky murmured.

"No," Ty responded.

"And this one?"

Seto stepped up behind Sky.

"Dead."

"Good," huffed Ty.

"I heard something!"

Jerome, standing closest to the door, motioned our way. The sound of the waves was growing more intense, crashing hard like the thunder. Mitch rushed over to his friend's side. The two peered out the slightly ajar door.

"What's up?" perked Sky, turning to them.

"Thought I heard something," mumbled Jerome.

"Thought I saw something," added Mitch.

"There could be more of them coming," gasped Ty. "Coming to reclaim their dead?"

"Coming to make us dead," grumbled Seto. "They were waiting for us. This was a trap!"

There was a loud crash. Jerome and Mitch quickly shut the door, pressing their backs up against it. Sky snarled, shaking his head. I felt a chill run down my spine. It sounded like rain outside. The flashlights went out, leaving Seto's magical glow the only source of light aside from the flickering overhead.

"Now what?" gulped Jerome.

"Now," sighed Sky, pulling his sword from his holster. "We hold our ground and try not to die."

"Not exactly a time for jokes," hissed Ty. "People are dead, Adam."

"People have died long before this, Ty," snapped Sky, facing Ty. "Now's not the time to get snippy about it."

"Guys!" shouted Quentin. "Now is not the time for a power struggle!"

"Getting louder outside," Mitch interrupted.

"Who's armed?" Sky instructed.

"I've got Betty," Mitch nodded.

"I thought it was my turn with Betty," whispered Jerome, nudging Mitch.

"Oh yeah," Mitch grinned. "Jerome has Betty."

"I'm armed, more or less," Seto nodded.

"I've got nothing," gulped Ty, shaking his head.

"Me either," Quentin sighed.

"I'm sorry," my voice sounded small.

Sky groaned, hand tightening around the blade's handle. The sound of rain was near deafening. Jerome and Mitch fled from the door, joining our ranks. We stood ready, though we were far from it. The smell of fish and rotting seemed to be seeping into my clothes, my bones, my very being. I couldn't breathe. Seto's light was fading. The room was growing darker. Silence and darkness.


	8. One Became Two

A/N

I'm so focused on the next book that I keep forgetting to actually finish this one. XD

Chapter 7: One became two

 **Several Years Ago**

Adam took in a deep breath, trying hard to contain his anger towards those "only trying to help." Their so-called help was disregarding him as insane, delusional or in denial. He knew he was none of those things. Shutting his eyes, he could still see Dawn being dragged down, feel the water wrap around his body, choking on the water leaking into his lungs, even though he stood on dry land. He wasn't crazy. He needed someone else to believe him.

He walked along the familiar trail, resisting the urge to run away from the very spot that had started this downfall. The ground was soft, relaxed by the recent rain. His footprints left marks in the mud, leaving him a path home, not that he needed it. Reaching the edge of the beach, he overlooked the sandy surface out at the water. It rippled and flowed smoothly, peacefully. It taunted him.

"What am I even doing?" he sighed, lowering his head. "Maybe I am just crazy."

Moving to return home, he heard a single splash followed by a garbled gasp. He again looked out toward the water, seeing a hand get dragged back into the water.

"Dawn?"

It couldn't be but what if it was? Adam leapt over the wooden rail, racing down the sand. His shoes sifted in the soil, making it awkward to run and nearly tripping him several times before he finally reached where water met sand. Without thinking, he dived in. The water consumed him as only water could, allowing him passage into the deep. The shadowy figure of whoever the water was drowning seemed to grow further away but he refused to accept this. Kicking his feet, he swum down faster, hand outstretched.

With a swift kick, running low on air, he managed to grab ahold of the other person's wrist. Something seemed to hold onto this person tightly, but kicking up, Adam was able to break free. Together, the two resurfaced, gasping for air. Coughing on the lack of oxygen, Adam glanced at the person he'd just saved. It was not Dawn.

The man looked fairly young. Dark hair, drenched in the water, clung to his face, covering one eye. His white shirt had been ripped down the center, nearly completely torn in two. The man gasped for air, only opening his eyes after his breathing relaxed. The new lease of life glittered in his one visible eye. Adam smiled lightly. It wasn't Dawn but at least he was able to save someone. The two swam to shore, collapsing on the sand.

"Th…thank you," gasped the boy.

"No…No problem," replied Adam.

"I…I thought…I thought I was gonna die," he gulped. "That thing…"

"A squid?" questioned Adam, glancing at him.

"I didn't think squids lived in these waters."

"Those demons live wherever they want," snarled Adam. "They take whoever they want. They don't care."

"I thought I was going to die," repeated the other. "Those damn squids."

Adam sat up, groaning.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw those things for what they are."

The other sat up.

"You fight them?"

Adam nodded without thinking. Fight them? Could he?

"Can I help?"

Adam perked. He could form a team to fight back?

"Yes," he grinned. "We can fight back."

"Help others from those things?" chuckled the man, shrugging. "Glad you were walking by."

"I'm Adam," he offered, holding out his hand.

"Ty," nodded the man, shaking Adam's hand.


	9. In The Dark

Chapter 8: In the Dark

 **Now**

The darkness seemed more haunting than anything. Silence and darkness. It was a waking nightmare. Silence may be an exaggeration. These was sound. The pounding of water against the siding. All our breathes lingering in the hair. Clicking. What was clicking? There was a loud bang followed by continuous rattling. They were trying to get in the door that Jerome and Mitch had locked.

"Here we go," whispered Sky.

The door blew open, briefly illuminating the room by the storm's light. Darkness settled down again, barely lit by the dock's streetlamps. It was like watching silhouettes battle. Jerome and Mitch moved in first, covered by Seto's long ranged attacks. I felt a hand grab my shoulder, pulling me back. I couldn't see who but they moved pass me, joining Jerome and Mitch in the shadowy battle near the entrance.

"Jane, go!"

I couldn't tell who was talking. I couldn't tell who was anyway. Where was I supposed to go? Nonetheless, I ran along the room's edge. I kept an eye trained on the battle in the center. I couldn't tell who was winning. I wish I could see better. Stumbling over the darkness, I eventually made it to the door. I stepped out of the building, feeling the rain hit my skin hard. I thought I could go get help, but I stopped not knowing how.

A sudden, shattering crash echoed across the dock, followed swiftly by a blast. I was shoved forward by the blast, crashing face first on the pavement. I could feel my skin scrape along the pavement, almost in slow motion. Now, it was silent. The only sound was the ringing in my ears. Everything seemed blurred, smoky. I pushed myself up slowly, trying to focus.

"What happened…?" I whimpered, looking around.

The warehouse's interior was lit now with the fire from the explosion. I could see the hazy images of my friends on their knees, struggling to get up. There were only five of them but they were strong. I saw one grab Jerome by his fur, dragging him away. I couldn't see anyone else moving. Sky was the only one still standing, sword shaking in his hands. His glasses were gone.

"Sky…" I whispered, trying to stand.

My feet felt like rubber, barely able to remain upright. Something was running down my face, I could feel it. I didn't know if it was rain, sweat or blood. Couldn't tell. Didn't want to know, either. I felt broken, moving to leave. I had to call and get help. Get help. Get. Help.

"Jane!"

The voice was loud. It pierced my ears and drew attention. I looked directly in their eyes, waiting for the rest of my vision to clear up. It looked like Quentin. I could feel my lungs take in air and heave it out. It hurt. Quentin grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me closer.

"Quentin…?"

"Close enough."

I felt a sharp pain in my side. I choked on the air in my lungs. My eyes burned, slowly leaking down my cheeks. My vision had finally cleared up enough to see who was truly in front of me. To my own credit, it did look like Quentin. No doubt one of the squid doubles. His fake skin had begun flaking, burned off by the explosion. He smiled, pulling the blade out from my side. I coughed, feeling like something was caught in my throat.

"Q2 has the final enemy present," he spoke, catching me as I fell forward.

"Who…" I sobbed. "How…"

"Oh, don't worry, human. This won't kill you," he scoffed, throwing me over his shoulder. "None of the others are dead…yet."

The smoke…the wound…the noise…ringing in my ear, heavy lungs, going limp, eyes growing tired. Couldn't move. Everything turned black. What just happened?


	10. Queen of the Squids

A/N

Better late than never? hee...hee...sorry. -_-'

Chapter 9: Queen of the Squids

I floated. At least, it felt like I was floating. My eyes were opened, watching the swirling colors and the beacon tearing through the shadowing sky. I was dream again, wasn't I? Falling or floating, I couldn't move in any other way. I wasn't even sure I was breathing. The beacon became the only light as darkness surrounded me. Soon, the darkness began swarming the light, consuming it. I hit something. It reached up, wrapping around me. Dragging me down, I wanted to scream but the black substance flooded into me.

I sat up suddenly, gasping for air. The dank room stunk of fish and wet dog. Water dripped from the ceiling, making a constant clink noise that echoed throughout the confined room. My panting pounded in my ears or was that my heart beat? I shook, feeling a chill of the room. Eventually, someone wrapped an arm around me. I wanted to cry. They pulled me in closer.

"You're okay, you're okay," Mitch repeated, rubbing my back.

"Wha…what happened? Where are we?" I gasped.

"We're in a cell," grumbled Ty, revealing himself to be leaned against the far wall, arms folded and eyes narrowed. "We've been in a cell for hours!"

"Don't yell!" shouted Sky in response.

"I hate water…" grumbled Jerome in the corner, huddled together. His fur was drenched, sticking to his suit. He was no doubt to source of the wet dog scent.

"Are you okay?" Mitch whispered.

"F…fine," I replied but I shook like a leaf. Was I cold or scared?

"We got dunked," hissed Jerome. "They bent me in a way people should not be bent."

"They stabbed Jane," countered Mitch.

"They stabbed me too where's my hugs?" chuckled Quentin, holding his side.

"Jane was having a nightmare. You were not," replied Seto, who sat in another corner.

"Dream really threw you, huh?" Sky chuckled, looking over at me.

"Yeah…" I sighed.

"Have them often?" Seto commented.

His look was less than comforting than Sky, brow perked as if he already knew the answer. I hardly doubted his knowledge. Seto always had an odd way of knowing things. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew about my nightmares or what they meant and yet I didn't ask. I didn't even want to.

The metal doors opened suddenly, grinding against metal hinges. Everyone got to their feet as squid-man guards entered. They looked human aside from the slips in their skin where blue scales were revealed. Their eyes were soulless, dark abysses that watched us. Wielding strange staffs, they motioned for us to follow. Sky took front.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"Come."

The voice was like slime, slowly leaking out of the creature's mouth and into the soiled air. The moved their weapons toward us, growing closer. Hands up, we were led away. The halls were strange. It appeared that the place we were in held air but the path ahead was filled with water yet as we continued to move forward, the air followed with us. Our footsteps slopped along wet stone. Eventually, we reached two large, cyan doors that towered above us.

"What's going on?" Ty hissed, staring at the guard.

"You will meet the Queen," replied the guard. "She had requested your presence."

The doors opened to a grand throne room. The path was lined with glowing bricks leading to a blackened throne. The rest of the room was built upon blue stone, as if forged from the sea itself. Several guards lined the walls, four on either side of the throne. Beyond them was a drape of what appeared to be seaweed, covering who I assumed was the Queen in a green laced shadow.

We were pushed to the center of the room, forced onto our knees. Lined beside each other, we looked up at the throne. The guards stepped apart, two on either side of the throne pulling aside the curtain. The Queen was a unique looking woman. Her hair was different colors, split right down the middle. A golden necklace lined her collar bone. She was dressed in a lavished blue dress, thrown to one side as to reveal thigh. Sky got to his feet.

"Dawn?"

Half of us looked at him and the other half looked at her. The guards pointed their weapons at Sky, but he didn't move. His chest moved up and down rapidly. His heart must've been racing. Dawn. This was Dawn…The woman who made all of this possible. She was the first loss. The one who set all of this into motion. The Sky Army would be nothing without the loss of Dawn, but her loss was now…fake?

"Dawn!" Sky screamed, voice cracking as he spoke.

She smiled, waving a hand at one of the guards near us. The left guard used his staff to jab at Sky's knee, forcing him down. He snarled, remaining on one knee. His eyes refused to move. His breath was shallow, heart beating in his chest. I could almost hear his anxiety, his fear, his excitement. He must've been so confused and happy. I wouldn't know how to respond either.

"Say something!" cried Sky, finally breaking down. "Please…"

The Queen- Dawn- stood up, allowing her dress to form around her smoothly. Stepping down the throne's stairs, passing the guards as they bowed to her, she stopped directly in front of Sky. They were close. She put her hands on his shoulders. I could hear the slight gasp. His jaw quivered. I could only imagine the thoughts racing through his mind.

"Almost identical in every way," she whispered, stepping back. "Are the rest of them finished?"

"Yes, my Queen."

In walked a set of clones. Each one was identical to those kneeling beside me and yet the way they walked and grinned at us was wrong. They weren't like my friends. They were wrong. Wrong. All I could think of was wrong. I could hear the shuddered breath of my friends. I wasn't in the lineup. Was I supposed to be happy or insulted?

"Aren't they wonderful?" she hummed, running her hand along them, ruffling their hair. "So hard to reproduce using such limited samples, you know. Some easier than others. Plenty of samples from the games, naturally. Peterson was helpful but a coward. Mr. Hammerston provided great knowledge but betrayed me. Can't find good help these days."

"Who are?" Ty spoke up. "What do you want?"

"I'm their queen and what I want is to control the surface world as if was promised to me."

"Who promised you?" Seto asked.

Dawn glanced over at him. Her smile twitched. Another wave of the hand, and the guards forced us to our feet. We were ushered out of the throne room. Sky put up a fight, struggling against the three guards trying to remove him. He screamed. Eventually, he swore. I had never seen this side of Sky. I felt like everything that I had known had been turned on its head.


	11. Truth

Chapter 10: Truth

Sky pounded the walls until Ty and Mitch forced him back. They grabbed him by the arms, pulling him back as he shouted. They struggled but eventually they got him to sit. I could hear him pant, snarling. His knuckles were red. He hadn't adjusted his glasses, showing his eyes. You could almost see the red in them as he stared forward. We sat in silence. No one knew how to respond.

"Seto," Sky eventually spoke.

Seto didn't answer.

"Did you know?"

All eyes fell on Seto. The sorcerer's arms were crossed, hood covering his eyes. Sky got to his feet again. He pulled his glasses off and pointed at Seto.

"Did you know? Answer me!"

Seto tilted his head up so as to show his eyes. He nodded. Sky charged forward. Seto didn't defend himself. Sky got in one punch into the sorcerer's jaw before Mitch, Ty, and Quentin pulled him away. In his heated rage, he managed to shove Quentin to the ground. While Quentin snarled, Jerome helped him to his feet in an attempt to calm him. The two held each other up. I can only imagine how tired everyone must be.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" shouted Sky.

"Because you couldn't have done what you've done without the loss of Dawn," replied Seto, rubbing his jaw. "Think of what you've done after Dawn was lost. The lives you've saved! Everyone in this room was saved because of your actions. Actions inspired by the loss of Dawn."

"You son of a…"

Seto defended this time, slipping passed the first and second punch with ease. I had never truly seen Seto in fight. He seemed to be absent during most of our battles oddly enough. I wonder if that's on purpose.

"I kept a secret for the greater good, Adam. I hope someday you can understand that," Seto sighed. I felt his eyes wander over to me. "You don't realize how important the Sky Army is."

"I don't care," snarled Sky, stepping away. "Dawn was best friend. She was girlfriend. She was my life. She was my everything!"

"I'm sorry."

"That's what's worse," growled Sky, getting close again, "You're really not."

Seto looked away.

"When we get out of here…you leave. For good."

"Of course," nodded Seto.

The silence and tension was enough to choke a man, maybe two. No one looked at each other. Everyone tried to pretend they were in their own cell. Sky slumped in the corner, head pressed into his knees, hands over the back of his head, ruffling his hair. His glasses remained on the floor. I wish I knew what to say. I wish anyone would say anything.

"We need to get out of here," Ty eventually spoke. "Any ideas?"

"The bars are obviously locked," Mitch sighed.

"Pressure controlled so the only air in this thing is diverted to this cell," added Jerome.

"And the throne room," interjected Sky.

"We need to get control of the air system," Ty nodded.

"There are vents," shrugged Seto, pointing up.

Sure enough, the vents above us seemed to keep the water at bay somehow. It seemed impossible and yet somehow worked. Slowly, our eyes drifted downward until we landed upon Quentin. He folded his arms and scowled.

"Why me…" he grumbled. "Why is it always me?"

"You can mostly breathe under water," responded Jerome.

"You swim better than anyone I know," added Mitch.

"You're small enough to fit through the vents," shrugged Ty.

"You're our best option," finished Seto.

Quentin growled, mumbled under his breath as he got to his feet. Obviously being shorter than the height of the cell, they formed a small tower with Quentin on top followed by Mitch and Jerome. The still wet bacca held onto Mitch's legs as he pushed Quentin into the vent. Oddly enough, even with the vent open, water refused to enter the cell. Apparently, this water didn't have to worry about gravity. Nonetheless, Quentin found his way into the vent.

"Now, what?" mumbled Mitch.

"Now, we wait," sighed Ty.

The cold and silence fell in against. The drip haunted the moment. It echoed across the room. I bit my lip. What was I supposed to do?


	12. Soggy Rescue

Chapter 11: Soggy Rescue

Watching Jerome try to dry off is something spectacular. It's somewhere between a dog shaking off and a person trying to ring their hair. It was by far the most entertaining thing in the cell, all eyes watching him. After a moment, he really didn't care that we were watching him. I half expected him to begin bathing himself like a cat but then again Jerome was probably more civilized than that. I'm not sure what I would do if he did start bathing himself though.

"How is Mudkip supposed to help us again?" Jerome hissed, ringing the fur around his arm. "If anything, he'll accidentally drown us."

"That's a worst-case scenario, don't you think, Jerome?" Mitch hummed. "I'm sure Quentin has this."

"How?" Jerome retorted. "What is he supposed to do to get us all out of here without drowning us?"

"A control switch."

Quentin slipped down from the vent, sloshing some water in with him. Jerome pulled his legs in closer to avoid the water. Quentin waved a small control switch. Sky was quick to snatch it, looking over the buttons and knobs.

"What is it?"

"A control switch," Quentin replied, swiping the device back. "It's what they used to keep the air around us while we were being escorted. This should help us out."

"So, back in the vents?" sighed Ty, pointing at the overhead vent.

"This'll work, right? I am not going in there if I'm gonna get wet again!" whimpered Jerome.

"It worked the way here," scoffed Quentin. "You think this thing would be working if it was wet?"

"Let's tower up again," instructed Ty.

Quentin went up first, building a nice air bubble for us to access in the vents. Sky followed, then Ty, Mitch, and Jerome. While I didn't mind going last, Seto insisted I went before him. It wasn't like I was wearing a skirt or anything but I still felt slightly uncomfortable having something directly behind me like this. The vent leveled out so we weren't climbing directly upward for very long.

"So, where are we going again?" grumbled Mitch.

"Hopefully toward the exit, right?" replied Jerome.

"Which is where?" huffed Ty, glancing behind him. "We were all unconscious when we got here."

"Seto, can't you use your weird magic stuff to lead us?" snapped Sky.

"I'm low on mana," Seto quickly responded. "I can't do much magic, nothing powerful at least."

"Teleportation would be nice," sighed Jerome.

"Agreed," Seto groaned.

"Quentin," Sky hummed, "Can you find other air pockets with that thing?"

"It's got a sensor, yeah. Why?"

"Adam, no!" snapped Ty. "We're escaping. This isn't a rescue mission."

"We can come back armed, Sky!" added Mitch.

"I'm not leaving without Dawn," hissed Sky. "I'm in charge, aren't I?"

"Not for much longer at this rate," grumbled Ty.

"I heard that."

"Quentin, please get us out of here!" I finally shouted.

Everyone got very quiet very fast. We shuffled forward until we reached another vent opening. A gentle breeze drifted in from beneath us revealing the room below to have another air bubble. Sky glared behind him at the rest of us. This had to be the throne room.

"Adam, no," mouthed Ty.

"Quentin, lead everyone out. I'm getting Dawn," Sky spoke flatly, completely ignoring Ty.

He kicked open the vent, jumping down. We remained silent a moment, not entirely sure what we should do next. With a sigh, Ty climbed over the open vent to sit beside Quentin. I could hear the air release from the snarl on Mitch's face. With a growl, he scooted around the hole to join the group. Jerome remained silent, holding his position.

"Sky might've alerted them to our position," Ty sighed. "We need to move now while we have a chance."

"I'm not leaving him," hissed Jerome, turning himself around so as his feet were first. "Catch up with us."

He jumped down. I could hear his feet hit the ground, body tumbling. Looking between the hole and the team on the other side, I felt conflicted. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I gulped, closing my eyes. I moved my legs and crawled around the hole. Seto followed behind me. We continued down the vent. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

"Did we make the right choice?" I whispered.

"Sky is blinded," Ty sighed. "We have to think of the bigger picture."

"Better idea," Mitch hummed. I could practically hear the grin. "Let's find the armory."

We stopped.

"That makes sense," chuckled Quentin. "How far can it be?"

"Don't. This is a bad idea!" shouted Ty.

"Keep your voice down," ordered Seto.

"Weapons room. Throne room. Exit. Great plan!" cheered Quentin, shuffling forward.

"No, no…this is a bad plan," groaned Ty, following begrudgingly.


	13. Armed and Ready

Chapter 12: Armed and ready

The supposed armory wasn't much, then again, the Sky Army weapons weren't advanced either. At least we have swords. Their weapons were nothing but strangely soggy swords, spears and assorted armor of equal mushy quality. We weren't willing to try on the armor but the swords and spears would have to do.

"Alright, now we go back and help Sky, right?" Mitch nodded.

"Our priority should be getting out of here and getting backup," countered Ty. "The amount of guards in there alone could easily overwhelm us."

"Who died and put you in charge?" huffed Mitch.

"At this point, Sky," snapped Ty.

"I'm not leaving without Jerome," snarled Mitch, waving a sword in Ty's face. "If we leave without either of them, Sky will chew us up."

"Sky's our commander, Ty," sighed Quentin. "We can't leave him."

Ty groaned, rolling his eyes. I had wondered what the chain of command was if something ever happened to Sky. I always thought that it would be Ty, seeing as he oversees just about everything when Sky is distracted. Then again, everyone shared some sort of responsibility. What does Sky do again?

"Would he leave us?" I whispered.

I sighed, looking over the group. They looked at me and then the ground. We all knew the truth. Sky wouldn't leave without us. He has never left us. Jerome and Mitch during the games. Quentin and I during our capture. I don't know about Ty or Seto, but I know that they would say the same thing. I took a sword from the wall.

"We can't let him down," I gulped, trying to sound encouraging.

"Sky was there for us. He's the reason we're here, not in the bad way," hummed Quentin. He looked at Ty. "He's the reason any of us are still standing."

Ty sighed, crossing his arms. He wasn't wrong. If we were to leave, regroup and come back with reinforcements we would have better odds. In the moment, right now, we had a decision. Right now, we all agreed. We would rescue Sky and Jerome, and if necessary, Dawn. Unanimously though, we agreed not to go back through the vents. Now armed, we fared better in the halls anyway.

Quentin took point, leading us down the corridor. It was oddly empty. Not a single guard walked near us. Not a sound, until we reached the throne room. The sounds of clashing and shouts were heard a ways away. The second we heard the commotion, we ran forward. Reaching the large doors, we threw them open. The battle we witnessed was interesting to say the least.

Sky and Jerome had each taken hold of a weapon, no doubt from one of the many fallen guards around them. As more guards flooded toward them, Dawn remained on her throne, kicking one leg as she watched the fight. Her smile was like of an evil enchantress, like you see in movies. They didn't even look at us as we entered.

"Now what?" perked Quentin.

"Now, we help," grinned Mitch.

It was almost seamless the way he linked with Jerome. The two moved in sync with each other, dodging and blocking, attacking and keeping up with each other. It was incredible. They even smiled while they moved, as if they were actually having fun. Sky remained alone, struggling to hold ground. Ty and Quentin moved in, guarding Sky's sides from the oncoming troops. I stood in the doorway, watching the battle.

"Enchanting, isn't it?"

I heard Dawn's voice over the chaos. It ignited a fire in me. Her condescending tone. Her grin. Her careless movements. She gave me a small wave, wiggling her fingers. I couldn't handle it. All I had left was to enter the fight. There was no way I could enter as seamlessly as them. Wait. I perked, looking around. Seto. Where'd Seto go?

"Stop."

His voice was strong, echoing across the vast room. The remaining guards looked up. The fighting stopped. Seto stood behind Dawn, hand by her throat. It glowed in a purple hue. Whatever was left of his mana was being used on this stunt. Dawn remained smiling, but her gaze had drifted toward Seto's hand.

"This is an interesting turn of events," she hummed.

"Seto! Don't you dare!" shouted Sky.

"Stand down," Seto retorted. "We're leaving here with her. Attempt to stop us and we'll kill her. To your feet, ma'am."

Dawn got to her feet. The guards stood up straight, stepping aside as Seto and Dawn walked down the center of the room. The rest of us filed in behind. Sky stepped up beside Seto, eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" he snarled.

"I'm doing what you wanted," Seto sighed, "I'm helping you get Dawn."

"Quentin, which ways the exit?" Ty questioned.

"Looking," Quentin grumbled, addressing the control unit.

"You're looking for the left wing," Dawn hummed. She looked over at Sky, winking. "That's closest to the shore after all."

"And if you're lying?" Jerome huffed.

"She'll drown with us," shrugged Mitch.


	14. Fresh Air

Chapter 13: Fresh Air

Walking out was awkward. It was entirely silent. Our footsteps were the only sound as we walked. Our breathing was shallow, almost to the point of panting. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. No one spoke. It felt like a lump in my throat, cutting off my voice. I wanted to say something, anything. Shifting eyes, shuttered breathes, what were we supposed to do?

"Such tension," Dawn hummed, "Someone say something. Things are getting boring."

"Please, shut up," grumbled Ty.

"Someone isn't happy," she chirped, winking at him.

Ty angrily looked at Sky. The two glared at each other a while before focusing again on walking. The energy around Seto's hand was flickering. He was running out of juice. I could see his faltering breath, sweat forming on his brow. This was a strain, but he managed to hold it as we walked. Dawn looked over her shoulder at the rest of us behind her. She winked again, but I wasn't sure who it was directed at.

"You know, don't you?" she eventually purred, glancing at Seto. "You know what this is all leading up to?"

"Please…be quiet," Seto instructed.

"This is hardly over," she whispered.

"Shut up!" shouted Jerome.

"Silence yourself, uncivilized fur ball!" she hissed.

Jerome slumped his shoulders. "I'm a handsome Bacca," he whimpered.

"You is," Mitch patted him on the shoulder.

"We're here," Ty gulped.

We reached a smaller tunnel. Crafted of glass, we could see the water flowing around the air in tunnel. Darkness kept us from seeing that far out, leaving a shadowy void before us. I could hear someone gulp. I sighed, hoping to sooth my beating heart. Water and I have not had a good relationship lately. I'm sure the others could agree.

"Now what?" Dawn chuckled. "Shall we?"

"You're coming with me," Sky perked, grabbing Dawn by the arm. "Pair up and let's go."

Naturally, Jerome and Mitch paired up. Ty and Quentin exchanged a nod. Seto, finally relaxing his magic, stepped to my side. All paired up. Sky dragged Dawn into the tunnel. We all followed suit. The doors shut behind us, startling some of us. Slowly, water began filling in around our feet. It was simple pressure chamber, allowing entry and exit without damaging the structure or those entering and exiting. Jerome groaned.

"And I just finished drying off…"

Water wrapped around us, soon filling the chamber. A panic set in my chest. I gasped the last few breathes I can before the water completely fills the room. I felt my chest tighten. Water. My growing hatred of water was beginning to truly set in. I shut my eyes as the water finished. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I nearly screamed.

Opening my eyes, I found Seto holding my hand. His cloak flowed freely in the water, wrapping around his body and yet swirling in the water around him. His boots pointed downward as he floated. It was like he was flying. Holding my hand, he led me out of the tunnel. My chest burned, holding in what little oxygen I had left. I could see the fading images of my friends swimming away. With Seto tugging me, I swum upward in hopes of more air on the surface.

Last time I had swam in the free water, something nearly dragged me down. That sense of panic stuck in my throat. I could feel the weight of my legs as they dangled behind my body, kicking in hopes of propelling me. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. My thoughts echoed in the silence of the water. I wanted to breathe. Help.

My head broke the water's surface. My lungs took in the air without restraint. I felt the weight of the water on my hair and clothes. Seto popped up beside me, equally gasping for air. I couldn't tell if water was dripping down my cheeks or whether I was crying in release. We exchanged looks of relief, smiling lightly.

"Seto! Jane!"

Looking over, I spotted Jerome and Mitch on a nearby dock. After another glance at Seto, we both began swimming toward shore. They helped us onto the wooden platform. Drenched, we laid on the ground, feeling the breeze against our skin. My eyes burned, lungs ached. Everything hurt. I wanted to sleep.

"You okay?" Mitch asked, kneeling beside me.

"Yeah," I gasped, "Feeling better."

"Been a while since we had to swim like that, huh?" he chuckled, sitting down. "Can't wait to get to bed."

I laughed too. It was like we were thinking the same thing. I sat up with Mitch's help. Looking out over the water, it seemed peaceful. The light upon the surface, shimmering and glowing on the water, creating a wonder that was beyond a worthy description. The sky was cloudless, a soft blue. I smiled. I was starting to feel better.

"We aren't done yet."

Ty stepped up behind us. I knew Ty was the voice of reason among this group of officers and rightfully so. In all the events that led up to this moment, Ty had stayed on top of everything. This was no exception. With Sky distracted by Dawn, Ty had to take point. I knew he didn't like taking charge, preferring to be the backseat driver. I could hear him sigh.

"Now what?" sighed Mitch. "Do we go back to base with her?"

"I don't think we have a choice," Ty nodded. "I'll alert security. Hopefully, Jason hasn't freaked out too much about our absence."

"How long have we been missing?" Jerome pipped up.

"A day at least," Seto offered. "It is hard to say how long we were unconscious."

"Let's see what base has to say," Ty nodded.

"Sky and Dawn?" whispered Mitch, looking over everyone. "What are we supposed to do? She isn't exactly on our side."

"She's the opposite of one our side. She's queen on our mortal enemy!" Jerome shouted.

"We can't argue with Sky at this point," Ty huffed. "We keep her under lock and key and see if we can get to the bottom of this mess. There's no way that's the Dawn Sky used to talk about."

"Could be clone? Like those other us…es?" Jerome mumbled, end of the sentence trailing off.

"It's a possibility," nodded Ty. "Seto, think you can figure it out?"

"I'm a sorcerer, not a scientist," Seto corrected. "However, if she's anything like the previous clone we dealt with, without water she should start decaying."

"Maybe that'll shake him lose," shrugged Mitch. "It'll be nice to have Sky in his right mind or at least his mind."

"Focus on getting home, right now," sighed Ty. "Dry off and regroup. We'll leave soon."


	15. The Sky after the Dawn

Chapter 14: The Sky after the Dawn

We sat on the one side of glass. Dawn sat at a small table on the other side of it. One way glass. She couldn't see us but we could see her. That didn't stop her from looking over at the mirror and winking. I couldn't tell if she was winking at us, knowing we were on the other side, or just winking to herself in the mirror. Nonetheless, it was unnerving.

Jerome and Mitch stood on either side of me. Even though he'd been dried several times, Jerome still had that wet dog smell. He'd been rung out, blown dried, and patted down with a towel and still he smelled. Mitch says it happens. Sometimes he just can't help it. Jerome jokingly said it was a stress smell. It was funny. I couldn't tell if he was serious though. Regardless, the three of us laughed about it.

Ty entered the room with Dawn. I felt like I was watching a cop movie. Dawn was being interrogated by Ty. Did that make Ty the good cop or the bad cop? He sat down opposite her, avoiding eye contact. She leaned over the table, smiling. I couldn't understand what she was so happy about. She was, from her point of view, captured by the enemy, being interrogated, threatened, by them. I wouldn't be smiling if I was in her position. I don't think anyone would.

"You know where you are?" Ty started with a sigh.

"In your base, I would assume," she hummed. "Though it doesn't look like much. A rotten tree and maggots wiggling inside."

"Do you remember almost drowning a several years ago?"

"No."

Ty looked up. Her eyes seemed to glimmer in the light.

"Do you remember anything before being…" he hesitated, "Queen?"

"I was given a new lease," she purred, voice sounding so hypnotic. "He granted me my kingdom."

"Let's not play the pronoun game," grumbled Ty, "Who is he? Please don't tell me it's…"

"Herobrine."

The name sent a shiver down my spine. That name was beginning to haunt me, even outside my dreams. Closing my eyes, I could still see his looming body, soulless eyes. I gulped, looking away from the mirror. Mitch put a hand on my shoulder. He knew Herobrine's face. He was there. I forget that sometimes. It's so fresh in my mind that I forget there were other people with me. I wasn't alone when I met him.

"Herobrine…gave you a new lease on what? Life?" Ty sighed. "Which means…you were near death?"

Dawn perked, eyes lowered to the desk.

"Ty…"

The door had opened. Sky lingered in the frame, eyeing the ground. He had yet to replace his sunglasses. Ty took a deep breath, getting up from the chair and allowing Sky to sit. This interrogation was taking a different turn. Walking out quietly, Ty shut the door behind me. Hurriedly, he ran down the hall into our little room. Together, we stood in silence.

"Do you know who I am?" Sky gulped.

"Sky…leader of his army," she scoffed, eyes narrowed at him. "You've killed many of my people."

"They aren't your people. They…" Sky sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Dawn, you aren't their queen. You're…you were my girlfriend!"

I could hear the quiver in his voice. He was trying not to cry.

"You don't remember?" he gasped. "We…we went to the beach. You loved the beach. You…you wanted to go swimming, even though we had just gone the day before." He bit his lip. "I didn't tell you. I didn't think it was important. I kicked a…I didn't think. I kicked it, sent it packing. It swore at me and I…I didn't listen. It took you. I didn't…I couldn't save you…"

Dawn's smile faded. She stared at Sky intently, mesmerized by his story. I could hear his shuddered breath. I would've cried if I was in his situation. I couldn't image losing someone like Ashley and finding her like this years after thinking she was dead. It hurt to even think about. I looked away. My chest hurt.

"I thought you drowned," whispered Sky. "I thought I killed you."

"You failed," she replied. "I was given life by my lord."

"Your 'lord' is nothing by an undead monster threatening our world. Just because he promised you something, doesn't mean you get it. He'll wipe out this world and you along with it. He doesn't care for anything! No one! He'll kill you, Dawn!"

She smiled lightly, looking away. I guess that was the end of the conversation. Sky got to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. It reverted in the room. His breath was labored. After a moment, frozen somewhere between frustration and sorrow, he left. He stepped away, threw open the door and didn't both to close it. Luckily, Dawn was locked down and couldn't leave through the open door.

I don't know why, but I had decided to be the one to go close the door. Ty, Jerome and Mitch left without words, walking down the other end of the hall. I turned back down the hall, stepping in the frame and reaching in to grab the knob. I met her eyes. Her smile widened.

"Hello, Stevenson…" she purred.

"I remember your voice…" I whispered. I did. It hadn't occurred to me until this moment. I had heard her voice once before.

"Dr. Hammerston…such a failed venture. He had one job and couldn't even accomplish that. Like telling a dog not to bite," she scoffed.

"Why…" I gulped. "Why tell him not to hurt me?"

"It is not our place to kill you," she snarled. "It is his…"

Herobrine.

"Why?"

Her smile faded a moment then returned stronger than before. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with an unknown light.

"He hasn't told you, the fool," she laughed, throwing her head back. "The one man who knows what to come hasn't told of what is to come!" She turned her head back to me. "How sad…you know nothing."

I took this time to finally close the door. I could still hear her laughing, all along in her room. I gulped, feeling the lump in my throat finally slip away. My chest pounded, lungs gasping for air. It felt like I'd run a marathon, not spoken to a random woman. I rubbed my eyes. Why was I crying? Stepping away from the door, I knew what I had to do. I needed to talk to Seto.


	16. Now You Don't

Chapter 15: Now You Don't

I searched half the base in search of Seto. I hadn't seen him since we'd resurfaced back at the dock. I knew he was a silent observer but this was hardly his normal type. Typically, he would stay in his den. I'd been in it once or twice before. It was nice and lavished but moody and dark. Cliff said it created atmosphere. She liked it. I didn't. Jerome and Mitch didn't either. Fia was bittersweet about it. She was normally a flashy person to begin with so that made sense.

"Ty!"

I waved down Ty during my search, spotting him heading in the opposite direction of me. He perked at his name but seemed oddly relieved to see me. Meeting up, I felt that this would put an end to my search.

"Have you seen Seto?"

"Seto?"

Ty looked puzzled a moment, pinching at his chin.

"I haven't seen him since…" his eyes widened. "He didn't…"

He darted off. Naturally, I followed. We ran down a way until we entered Ty's office. I hadn't been here before but I'd heard Jerome and Mitch talk about it. It was oddly bright, with a nice wooden desk, several chairs and abstract paintings on the wall. It looked like the office for a young adult. He rounded the desk, sitting in the chair and activating the computer.

"What happened?" I questioned.

"I'm looking for him in the system…"

"Wait…do you track us?"

He looked up, gave a sheepish grin and shrug before returning to the computer. I don't whether to feel secure or stalked.

"He's not here…" he whispered. "I can't find Seto. He's gone!"

"What? Why?" I gasped.

"Adam…Sky told him to leave when we got back," groaned Ty. "Seto left…"

There was a knock at the door. Both looking up, we noticed Sky standing in the doorway. He looked uncomfortable, readjusting his sunglasses. Ty groaned, turning his attention back to the computer. I heard his fingers frantically move along the keyboard. Sky entered reluctantly.

"I saw you run off. What's up?" he mumbled.

"Seto's gone…" replied Ty, getting to his feet. "He straight up left. I'm not even sure he ever returned to base."

"What?" Sky gasped.

"You told him to leave, remember?" Ty grumbled, rounding the desk. "So, he left."

"I…I didn't think…"

"You weren't thinking, I know…" huffed Ty, storming pass Sky. The latter snarled, spinning around.

"You know, Ty, if you've got something to say, I'm all ears!"

"I think you should be relieved of duty, sir," Ty snapped, turning around. "You aren't thinking clearly."

"I'm sorry Seto left, but he lied about Dawn."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Dawn, but Seto saw the bigger picture. A picture you stopped seeing since you saw her again. I understand the whole lost love thing but hell, Adam, remember what it took to get here…"

Sky opened his mouth to speak but Ty was quick to cut him off.

"Seto lied to you, yeah I get that. Seto did it for the greater good. If Seto hadn't lied…where would any of us be? Jerome and Mitch? Quentin? Me?" Ty sighed. "What about Jane? What about any of the recruits?"

Sky looked down.

"If Seto told you about Dawn, you'd get as obsessed as you are right now. You would've let me drown. You wouldn't have helped Jerome and Mitch. Rescue Quentin. Met Seto. Jason. Ian. Ryan. Kermit. Noah. Bashur." He paused, motioning toward me. "Jane."

Sky sighed.

"I'm sorry about Dawn, I really am," Ty whimpered, stepping back. "But I'm not sorry about Seto, because, honestly, I would've done the same thing…"

With that, Ty left. I didn't know what to do, standing there in Ty's office with Sky. I don't know whether I agreed with Ty or not. I understood though. I couldn't imagine where I'd be if Sky and his team weren't there to save me. Ashley. Cliff. Fia. Where would they be? I can't imagine not knowing any of my friends now. Jerome. Mitch. Quentin. What would I do without them?

"What do I do?"

I looked over at Sky. He was staring at the empty doorframe. I looked away, watching the doorframe too. I don't know what he was expecting to happen. I don't know what I was expecting. Was I expecting Ty to walk back in? Seto? I sighed.

"I can't tell you what to do," I whispered, walking away. "It's called the Sky Army for a reason, I guess…"

I left Sky in that room. I don't know whether it was the best option, but I did it and there was no taking it back.


	17. Do You Believe in Magic

Chapter 16: Do You Believe in Magic?

 **Several Years Ago**

Sky sat in his makeshift office. He felt like death itself, slumped over his desk to get the fleeting moments of sleep he could before Ty or someone else busted into his office for help on something else. The new recruits were proving troublesome, more so than he had originally thought. They were nice when it came down to it though. He took in a deep breath, opening his eyes slowly. That's when he noticed a shadow linger over his desk.

Sitting up fast, he noticed the man sitting opposite him. Dressed in a purple cloak, darkened lining, flowing over a greyed outfit, marked with a red center and belt, the man's face was shrouded with a purple hood, revealing only a shadowed smile. Leaning back, Sky gulped. The man tilted his head back, revealing his face more clearly. Brown eyes, white headband, brown hair leaking through the band, the man seemed far younger than Sky had originally thought.

"Hello, Sky," the man hummed.

"How did you get in here?" gasped Sky.

"I have my ways," shrugged the man. "Might I offer you something to help you feel better?"

The man produced an apple from his sleeve. He held it out in front of him, holding it out for Sky. The leader glanced at it, eyes moving between the man and the apple.

"Why is it…gold?" gulped Sky, gingerly taking the apple.

"It's magical in property. It'll make you feel better, trust me," nodded the man.

"What are you a magician?" chuckled Sky, putting it up to his mouth.

"I prefer sorcerer. You may call me Seto."

Sky took a bite of the apple. The second it hit his tongue, a tingling reverted through his body. After it had passed, the tiredness and soreness relaxed into a numb feeling and eventually nothing. He felt well rested, for the first time in a long time. He consumed the rest of the apple quickly, each bite reducing his ailments.

"What is this, again?" perked Sky, having finished it.

"A golden apple. It is the best healing magic I have at my disposal," offered Seto. "And I'm willing to add my magic to your arsenal."

Sky looked up.

"What?"

"I want to help you in your endeavors, Adam," Seto instructed.

"Why?"

"I believe you are destined for something…important. I would like to be there when it happens."

Sky sighed, looking around. His messy office. He could practically hear Ty down the hall, no doubt screaming at the young Jerome and Mitch. Things were growing tiring. It wouldn't hurt to have someone who could make healing things, regardless of how. Magic, science, it didn't matter to him right now.

"Can you make more of this?" perked sky, pointing at the remains of the apple.

"Yes."

"Then deal!"


	18. No Doctor in the House

Chapter 17: No Doctor in the House

 **Now**

I knew Cliff was taught under Seto, but everyone knew that she was far from his level. He had skills none of us knew and the ones we have seen seem almost impossible. Cliff was skilled, I'd seen her magic but it was limited. The great tasks that Seto could do could knock Cliff back for hours. Nonetheless, now she was the most experienced magic user in base. She was all we had.

Again, we were looking through the one-sided glass, watching Dawn as she sat alone. Cliff was beside me. I felt her shaking. She hadn't been feeling well since the Hunger Games. I had talked to her but she always seemed distracted, like something was playing in the back of her mind. Now, her eyes were focused on Dawn. They were wide. She saw something we didn't.

"Do you know who this?" whispered Ty who stood behind her.

"Dawn…" she replied softly. "Corrupted."

"What?" Ty perked.

"She is corrupted. Dark energy surrounds her," I heard her voice shake.

"Can you fix her?" Sky's voice was softer than anyone's, coming from the doorway. Ty looked away from him.

"I'm not very good at cleansing magic," whimpered Cliff, but she nodded. "I think I can, though."

"What do you need?" Ty instructed. "Can you find them in Seto's office?"

"Maybe," sighed Cliff. "What happened to Seto?"

"We don't know," replied Ty.

"He left," sighed Sky. "It's my fault."

Cliff's eyes narrowed, staring at him intently. I knew Seto and Cliff's relationship was close. I wasn't sure how close but I knew she was lost without him during our previous adventures. I wasn't sure of how she met him or even how long she'd worked with him. The way she looked at Sky though, said that she was mad at him about him. She blamed in and rightly so. After a moment, she looked away, turning back to Dawn.

"I'll do what I can, sir," she whispered.

"Can Fia help you?" Ty offered.

"She wasn't much for this kind of magic," Cliff nodded. "I'm sure she's better off making healing potions or something for any upcoming stuff."

"That makes sense," chuckled Sky, trying to levitate the tension. No one else laughed.

"I'll check Seto's library," gulped Cliff. "Perhaps they might help."

She left, pushing passed Sky. The tension left in the air was thick. I felt like I was choking. I looked at the ground. The two needed to talk about their previous conversation, but maybe now wasn't the best time. It had only been a short time since their argument. I'd never seen the two more heated at each other. I felt like such a third wheel.

"I'm going to talk to her again," Sky sighed, tapping on the door.

"I figured," nodded Ty. "I'm not gonna stop you."

"I…I think I can get to her."

"I know you do."

"Ty…"

"I'm not sticking around to listen to this again," groaned Ty, leaving. He brushed up against Sky before completely leaving.

Sky gulped, looking up at me.

"Can you…keep an eye on things?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

Sky left the room, reentering the interrogating room. Dawn seemed to perk upon his entrance, smiling and relaxing as he sat across from her. I could hear him sigh. She chuckled, leaning on the table. He leaned in too.

"Dawn," he whispered, "I'm not giving up on you."

"Enjoy your delusions," she giggled. "It'll make this all the sweeter when I kill you."

"You won't kill me," Sky shook his head. "We were close once. You can't just forget that."

She leaned in, whispering into his ear. I couldn't see her lips move or hear what she said but I saw Sky's hands tighten into fists, knuckles turning white. My stomach dropped. Dawn stood up, cuffs dropping from her wrists. Sky's stood up, stumbling back. He held his side. Red. Dawn looked up at the glass. She looked at me. I wanted to scream. The only form of reason I had was to hit the alarm.

Reaching over, someone grabbed my wrist. The sticky, sweaty palms tightened around my arm until it hurt. I couldn't scream. The door closed behind the doubleganger Sky. He pulled my hand down, away from the alarm button. My heart was pounding in my chest. I couldn't speak, only stare into the eyes of this clone. Her grinned, twisting my wrist. My scream caught in my throat.

"Thank you, miss," the copy spoke, "but I'm afraid I can't let you alert anyone just yet."

I snarled, using my free hand to scratch his face. I ripped the fake skin off his cheek, revealing blue scaly flesh. He tightened his grip, twisting my wrist again. I finally screamed. The copy looked around, spotting his queen through the glass. Looking back at me, he smiled again. I gulped.

Taking hold of my waist, he lifted me up and threw me against the glass. It shattered against my weight, breaking outward and allowing me to tumble into the connecting room. I couldn't move. Everything hurt. Sky sat in the chair beside me. I couldn't tell if he was awake or unconscious. I could see the red swelling on his clothes. Air. Was I breathing?

"My queen…"

The double crossed over the newly formed window. Dawn grinned, offering him a hand. He bowed, kissing it. She giggled, looking away. It was like some messed up flirtation system. The double stood up straight, pushing his original aside. With Sky joining me on the ground, I realized how much my head hurt. Tired. Very tired. I heard Sky's labored breathing. He was still alive. Tired. I closed my eyes, listening to my breathing and beating off my heart. Soothing. Tired…


	19. At Death's Door

Chapter 18: At Death's Door

Dreams are weird. In the moment, they seem so real. When you wake up, they seem so improbable. In a dream, you don't think much about standing in a place you've never been. In a dream, you can stand at this place every night and feel like it's the first time you've ever been there. When you wake up though, you remember how long you've been there, how often and begin to wonder why.

"Here again?"

I knew the voice now as a sign of dreaming. The man I had grown so accustomed to seeing in this place. He stepped up beside me. I still remember when he was a kid. That seems like such a strange thing to say about a character from your dreams. The child had grown up to be this tall man, dressed in usual attire, with a large scar down his face. I'd never bothered to ask how he got it, then again, I didn't ask a lot of questions I should have. We stood, watching the light fly from the earth, a beacon for all to see.

"What is happening?" I whispered.

"The longest battle must be finished," he instructed. "I thought I had won, years ago, but…he had another plan. This is my fault."

"Dawn," I asked, looking to him. "What's her role in all of this and Sky? Any of us?"

"Everyone has a part to play, you always have," he nodded.

I groaned, taking in a deep breath. Nothing felt right in this moment.

"I'm sorry to have put you in this position," he sighed. "A time is coming when this will all make sense."

"Can't wait," I chuckled.

He didn't laugh. After a moment of silence, he looked at me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"You need to wake up, now."

"What?"

"Wake up, Jane."

The pressure on my body turned heavy, dragging me to the ground. The light was the only stable thing as everything else turned dark. Wake up. The man stood over me, watching as I sank lower and lower. I felt the world swallow me, falling deeper into the earth. No air. I felt tears roll down my cheek. Couldn't scream. My body felt as though it was chained down. I shut my eyes, gasping for air.

I sat up, opening my eyes. My body was still sore as if I'd been run over several times. Seeing the world around me I relaxed. Home. Such an odd thing to name the base, but it felt right for the time being. I was sitting in the interrogation room. Realizing that, the panic rushed back into me. Dawn. Sky. His clone. Hurt. Not exactly in that order but still. I felt a familiar grip around my arms.

"Calm down!" assured Mitch, keeping me from flailing. "You're fine! You're fine!"

"M-m-Mitch?" I stuttered.

Panic. Right. Sky. Dawn. Clone. Mitch continued to hold me still.

"Sky…he's hurt! The clone and-and-and Dawn. He took her. The clone…" I sputtered, looking around. I was surrounded in shattered glass.

"We know, we know," Mitch nodded.

"Huh?"

"We found Sky shambling down the hall with a stab wound. He told us you were banged up too. We're on high alert for Dawn and Sky's evil twin."

"I-I scratched him. The clone," I grinned. "I tore some of his skin. His real skin is showing."

"Gross but nice to know," chuckled Mitch. "You hurt?"

I held up wrist. It was swollen, red and I had no doubt that it was probably broken in some way or fashion. Mitch grimaced at it, knowing it undoubtedly hurt. It did. He helped me to my feet.

"Now what?" I whimpered, holding my damaged wrist close to my chest.

"We're on high alert. If evil Sky is here, it's safe to say the others are here too," nodded Mitch. "Code word is fish."

"Quentin didn't like that, did he?" I grinned.

"Nope," chuckled Mitch, helping me to the door.

Checking both ways, we began heading down the left. I could hear the alarms sounding, people scrambling. Everyone was in a panic, and I bet that code word was only working so well. It would be only a matter of time before the enemy knew it too. Reaching a cross roads, we stopped. Left was the commons. Right was the offices. Looking either way was a different story as either way had a Jerome standing.

"You've got to be kidding me," grumbled the right Jerome, storming forward.

Mitch pulled from his sheath the diamond beauty known as Betty. Tightening his grip on the handle, both Jerome's stopped, hands up and eyes looking sincere. Dressed in identical suits, furry coating the collar and cuffs, they were impossible to tell apart. I gulped, hiding behind Mitch.

"Mitch, it's me!" called the one on the right.

"Don't listen to him. He's the squid!" the other agued.

"Everyone just stay put," snapped Mitch. "I can't tell if this is a nightmare or a dream I had once."

"Serious?" both Jeromes chirped.

"Shut up!" Mitch huffed. "This is a weird situation!"

"Mitch, it's me, the good Bacca," the one on the left hummed, motioning toward him. "We've been through a lot. You know it's me!"

"Don't listen to that Blooper Sac," hissed Jerome. "Betty has his name on it."

"Okay, okay," Mitch panted. "Tell me something only Jerome can know?"

"Wow, that's cliché," chuckled the one of the right.

"Tell me about it," agreed the left.

"Now!" shouted Mitch.

"I don't know what you want me to say!" grumbled the one on the left.

Mitch turned to the one on the right. The Jerome seemed deep in thought, digging in the depths of his mind. Looking up, I saw the light in his eyes that I'd seen in the heat of battle. He smiled.

"The first time we met…you gave me a loaf of bread your mom just made," he mumbled.

Mitch smiled, spinning around and throwing Betty into the chest of the left Jerome. The being shouted an inhumane noise before collapsing. Mitch stepped over, pulling the ax from its chest. Jerome stepped over to me.

"You okay?" he perked.

"Yeah…what just happened?" I whimpered.

"Long story," grinned Mitch. "Besides, you're the only one who smelled like wet dog."

"I dried like seven times! What do you want from me!?" Jerome shouted.

"Code word is fish, remember," huffed Mitch, patting Jerome on the shoulder. "Don't forget it this time."

"Oh yeah," nodded Jerome. "Quentin was so pissed."

"I thought it was funny," shrugged Mitch.

"Me too."

I liked seeing the two getting along. It was a sense of normalcy. Consistency. I smiled, watching the two laugh to themselves. In that moment, I had some hope.


	20. Positive and Negative

Chapter 19: Positive and Negative

Racing down the hall, all I could think about is who I could trust. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't fully trust the Mitch and Jerome I was running with. I couldn't shake the suspicion. What if…what if I had just watched the real Jerome die? I don't know if I could live with myself if that was the case. Then again, I'm not sure they'd let me live anyway.

Mitch and Jerome stopped abruptly, leaving me to collide into the back of them. Looking over their shoulders, I spotted the reason for our delay. Blocking out way was a Mitch. Unlucky the one I stood besides, his clothes were tattered and slightly burned. He looked like he'd been through hell to reach this point. His hair was pulled back, drawing focus to his eyes. I never really noticed Mitch's eyes before. In this moment, on this version of him, they seemed to burn with an unholy spirit.

"I think I've had a nightmare like this once," chuckled Jerome, glancing between the two. "Or was it a dream?"

"That's my line!" shouted Mitch, the one next to us.

"Yeah, but it sounds better when I say it," Jerome shrugged.

"I don't suppose there's a point lying, is there?" commented the one on the other end of the hall.

"Nope."

Mitch drew Betty but handed it to Jerome. His furry hands gripped the handle tightly as a grin formed. The other Mitch titled his head, cracking his neck. It was unnerving. Jerome stepped forward.

"I always wanted to do this," he whispered.

"What was that?" snapped Mitch.

"Kidding," shrugged Jerome, charging in.

Jerome slashed at the doubleganger, watching as the blade grazed his cheek. The clone just barely dodged it. Mitch put an arm out in front of me. I was growing kind of used to his protective nature. Before Jerome had a chance to strike again, the clone ducked down, swipe kicking Jerome down. I heard him grunt as he hit the floor.

Leaving no time to recover, the clone quickly moved to punch Jerome in the chest, but luckily, our favorite bacca rolled away, letting the clone's fist hit the floor. It cracked under the pressure. Looking up, the clone was greeted with Jerome's knee, knocking him back. I could see Jerome gaining confidence. Then I watched him lose it. The clone leapt in the air, dodging another of swipe from Betty, and kicking Jerome in the face, once again knocking him to the ground.

"Can you do that?" I whispered.

"Uh…" Mitch stuttered.

"I've seen you fight, don't lie to her," shouted Jerome, slowly getting to his feet. "Help me, you stupid bacon."

"Shut up, I'm coming!" Mitch replied, leaping into the fight.

I'd never truly seen Mitch fight just hand to hand but it was interesting to view. I'm sure it would've been less so if his opponent wasn't himself. With every punch made, the other would dodge. No kick or blow could connect as the two evaded and leapt over each other's attacks. Jerome took this time to recollect himself, catching his breath.

"Need a wild card," groaned Jerome, holding his side. "Mitch vs Mitch just isn't working."

As if on cue, there was a twang of a tightened string releasing. With the sound of rushing wind along the shaft, the arrow struck deep into the clone's back. He let out a scream, instinctively moving to grab his shoulder. The original, alongside Jerome, pulled back and in unison punched the double in the jaw, knocking him back. He hit the ground hard, eyes rolling back before shutting. If he wasn't dead, he was definitely unconscious.

"I think I had a dream like this once…"

Ashley's hands shook as she held tightly to her bow. It felt like a lifetime since I'd seen her. She readjusted her glasses, pulling her hair back into her bun. The quiver, swung over her shoulder, held the rest of her arsenal, which consisted of only three more arrows. It normally held at least ten. Obviously, she had an interesting time getting here.

"We already made that joke," Mitch and Jerome chuckled.

"Oh," sighed Ashley, stepping over the fallen Mitch. "Guess I'm late to the party?"

"Right on time," grinned Jerome, shaking his hand. "Ow…"

"What'd you do this time?" grumbled Mitch, watching the bacca shake his wrist. "I told you, you punch with your knuckles like this…" He made a motion with his hand, giving a pretend swing.

"I did, I did!" argued Jerome, also pretending to punch.

"Are you okay?" Ashley hummed, bypassing the two and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I think so…" I sighed. "We need to find everyone before Dawn gets a hold of this place."

"Dawn?" perked Ashley. "She's alive?"

"Oh…right," I mumbled. "Don't tell anyone."

"We should keep heading toward the commons," instructed Mitch, joining our conversation. "I bet the most damage is going on there."

"Sky is with Ty," Jerome added, snickering slightly as his slight rhyme. "Without Seto, we're lacking some medical treatment options."

"And Cliff?"

"She's still working on the cleansing process. According to Ian, she's getting somewhere," nodded Jerome. "It won't mean anything if we don't catch her again!"

"Let move!" announced Mitch.

I'm not sure how Mitch became our group's mini-boss but it wasn't argued. He was probably more capable than the rest of us. Next stop, the heart of the chaos.


	21. Dusk Before the Dawn

A/N

Why haven't I finished this shit yet...

Chapter 20: Dusk before the Dawn

Running into the commons was like walking into the middle of a nuclear blast. It was mesh of fighting, shimmering of golden blades against cobalt scales. Screaming, crying, the metallic clinks of sword against sword echoed across the open room. Somehow the noise seemed to excite Mitch and Jerome as they grinned brightly. They wanted to join in the mess, you could see the glimmer in their eyes. It was like holding back dogs from chasing a squirrel.

"This is chaos…" whispered Ashley, surveying the damage. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Fight!" cheered the two, glancing to me.

"Go on then," I sighed, rolling my eyes.

The two jumped over the railing of the balcony, taking out a few enemies on the way down. They entered the fray, cutting a path through the mosh of people. Ashley and I exchanged looks. I was not surprised by their eagerness but rather their efficiency. Ashley seemed mostly shocked let I let them join.

"Now what?"

"Now…" I muttered. "Let's find Dawn."

Ashley grinned, brandishing her bow. "I've got you covered."

We descended the balcony stairs, seeping into the conflict. I had no weapon, mostly ducking behind Ashley when things got too sticky for me to proceed. I would peer up at her, watch the strands of stray hair in her face swish in the wind coming from the bow's string when it fired, the focus in her eyes like computerized targeting systems, and that slight grin that would form when an arrow successfully embedded itself into the chest of a clone. Hardly a drop of sweat on her brow. How could I have not seen how amazing she was before?

"See her? Is she even in this mess?" gasped Ashley as we pressed forward.

"She's like a general," I instructed. "She has to be giving them instructions. She _has_ to be here somewhere."

"There!"

Ashley redirected her bow, taking out the squid directly in front, revealing Dawn standing near the corridor leading to the kitchen. She stood, chin slightly raised as she watched Sky fight his doubleganger directly in front of her. It was like an emperor watching gladiators fight for her amusement. It burned me to see her treat either in such a way. Both were so devoted to her, and she treated them like toys, made to be played with until broken and then scrapped.

"Move!" Ashley ordered.

My legs rushed forward, mind working out what to do once I reached them. Would I aid Sky in defeating his twin or do I stop Dawn from escaping? If I did one, would the other end poorly? Approaching them, I made the quick decision. I slid under Sky and his doubleganger, jumping up and standing before Dawn.

"My, my, aren't you a surprise," she hummed, shaking her head. "I expected nothing less of you."

"What do you know about me?"

"More than you think…"

I was getting tired of people knowing more about me than me. I charged her, but she dodged without so much as a glance. It was as if I was a bug pestering her. She began walking away, apparently done with the conversation. I chased her. My first instinct was to tackle but thought that she'd likely dodge the same as before. So instead of going straight for grabbing her, I decided to kick her out.

Sliding forward, I kicked my leg out, slipping my foot between her steps. She stumbled as I leapt back to my feet. As she regained balanced, I grabbed her, wrapping my arms around her and lifting her slightly. She kicked, growling at me. I felt each hard beating against my shin, but with the amount of adrenaline running through me, I could hardly feel the pain. It was numb.

"Jane!"

Peering around Dawn's head, I spotted Cliff running down the hall. She held a potion bottle filled with a darkened liquid. Upon her approach, Dawn grimaced, struggling to pull away. My grip was as tight as I could manage but I could feel it breaking. I wouldn't be able to hold her for much longer.

"Cliff, what's that?"

"The cleansing potion," grinned Cliff, lifting it to Dawn's mouth. "Now hold her still…This should work."

"Should?" I snapped. I didn't mean to snap at her, I suppose I was just tired of this mess.

"Let me be, witch!" cursed Dawn, shaking her head as Cliff raised the potion.

"I said…" Cliff used her spare hand to grip Dawn's jaw, squeezing to open it and pour the liquid in. "Hold…still…"

Once the liquid was gone, Cliff threw the bottle aside and shut Dawn's mouth tightly, covering it and her nose. Dawn squirmed, gurgling on the water caught in her mouth. After a while I heard the gulp and her whimpering breathes. Cliff stepped back, removing her grip. I slowly released Dawn as she had stopped struggling. We figured it had worked.

"Witch!"

Dawn stepped forward, plunging a dagger from her side into Cliff's stomach. Cliff screamed, holding the handle as Dawn ran away. I held onto Cliff, guiding her to the ground. She was panting and whimpering, eyes focused on the wound will blood pooling. Her fingers shook around the handle, debating whether to grab it or leave it.

"Don't move! Don't move!" I begged. "We'll find someone to help!"

"Potion…" whimpered Cliff, looking up slowly. "In my quarters…"

"I can't just leave you…" I mumbled.

"Jane! Cliff!"

I peered up, seeing Ashley running up to us with Sky not far behind her. Ashley stood over us as Sky knelt beside me. He placed a hand on Cliff's shoulder. She looked up at him. She was starting to cry.

"Don't worry, Cliff, we've got you," he offered. He turned to me. "Where's Dawn?"

"She ran off…toward the pool."

Sky looked back to Cliff. I could almost see the cogs in his head working. He turned back to me.

"You get Dawn. Ashley and I will take care of Cliff."

"But Sky…" I whispered, leaning in. "This is Dawn…You…"

"I know," he spoke softly. "But right now, there's more important things…"

I nodded, getting to my feet. Ashley gave me a nod. I looked between the three and then I ran down the hall. This felt wrong. Sky should be the one to catch Dawn, right? I understood what he was trying to do. He wanted to be the bigger man. He wanted to focus on his team than a lost love. He realized now what was more important. I just wish Cliff didn't have to get hurt for him to see that.


	22. Resurfaced

Chapter 21: Resurfaced

Running down the hall, I remembers all the other times I had been running through it, through similar halls, for similar purposes. I remember my first day. I remember chasing after Mitch and Jerome after their 'hazing' of wrapping everything in my room in tinfoil. To welcome me, they said. I was mad then, now I'd rather go back to that time. Those first days when nothing happened. When I questioned about the decision I made to join them and leave my life behind. Running down this hall, I could help but wonder how long I'll be running.

I slowed, seeing the open doors of the pool. Even from a distance, I could see Dawn standing on the pool's edge, head lowered. She appeared impossibly still, frozen in time. My footsteps were gentle as I approached her, hoping not to startle her. I stepped up behind her, debating what to do. I wasn't sure if this was a trap or not.

"What…did you do to me?"

Her voice was softer than before, shuddering under its own weight, almost as if it was first time it was being used in a while. She lifted her head, and I heard her take in a deep breath. She looked over her shoulder. Her eyes seemed clear for the first time, looking to me, glittering with tears.

"What did you do?" she whimpered.

"Cliff gave you a cleansing potion…you were under some kind of spell, I guess," I offered, stepping closer. "You know that now, right?"

She nodded softly, looking around. Her head lowered again, eyes drifting to glance at her reflection in the pool. "We went swimming and I…"

"I'm sorry," I gulped, not sure what else to say.

"Oh god…what have I done?" she sobbed, covering her mouth. "Adam…everyone…this is all my fault…"

"You didn't know." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "And don't underestimate Sky's comeback ability."

She lifted her head, quickly turning to me. Her eyes seemed wide, mouth opening as if she remembered something important.

"Jane!" She gasped, grabbing my arm. "You don't know! He's going to do something awful and there's this whole prophecy thing and you are…"

The doors of the pool slammed shut. We both turned to face a quite torn up squid clone. It looked as if most his disguise had been ripped away, bleeding and revealing blue scales. His eyes were blackened as they stared at us. I pushed Dawn behind me. The clone grinned, cracking his neck.

"Well, well, well," his voice was twisted with a hint of Quentin. "What have you been up to?"

"Back off, squid," I hissed, reaching to where my holster would typically be. Empty. Right, unarmed.

"Who's gonna make me?"

Dawn peered around me, holding onto my arm tightly. "I am your queen! Leave this instant!"

The double paused, tilting his head and looking over Dawn. He didn't seem convinced, chuckling slightly.

"Not anymore…"

The doors suddenly kicked open, pushing the clone to the ground hard. Husky stood, foot still in the air from the end of his kick. He looked down, slightly confused at the presence of his double. He then looked up, staring at me and Dawn. He shrugged. I shrugged. He lowered his foot, walking around the clone.

"Sorry about this," he mumbled, kicking the clone in the head. "You really shoulda locked it." He looked up to us. "You two okay?"

I looked over my shoulder at Dawn. Her grip was tight on me. I smiled lightly, looking back to Quentin, nodding. He grinned.

"Good, everything seems to be wrapping up," he hummed, stepping over. "But we could still use a helping hand."

He tossed me a blade. After some time of practice, I was luckily able to catch it by the handle. I glanced at Dawn, and she released me. Quentin nodded, turning back to the door. I followed him, Dawn stepping closely behind me.

"I'm not sure it's safe for you to follow me," I mumbled to her. "You're kind of…in shock, I think."

"I can't be left alone!" she gasped. "These things no longer trust me. Once he finds out I'm no longer under his spell, he'll kill me! I'm not safe!"

"She's got a point," added Quentin.

I sighed but agreed. She was a priority mission now. Instead of capture, it was a matter of protection. Sky will be happy to hear she's recovering from the dark magic or whatever was controlling her. I couldn't help but smile. I felt like I was reuniting two lost lovers in the mist of war. Like Romeo and Juliet. Wait…that's probably a bad example.


	23. Leave Out All the Rest

Chapter 22: Leave out all the rest

The battle truly seemed to be settling as Quentin, Dawn and I reentered the commons. The smell of rotting consumed the room as several bodies littered the floor. The few squids that remained standing were heavily wounded but still fighting. They were few in numbers, allowing the recruits to easily overpower them. The only exceptions were the officers. The crowd of recruits surrounded the two lines forming in the center. Sky stood in front of Ty, Mitch, Ian, and Jason. Across from them, their clones.

"You're out numbered and out matched," announced Sky, motioning to the growing crowd. "Give up."

"We will kill you first," his double promptly replied. The cut I'd made on his face had torn more, more of his face turning blue and scales. Only one of his eyes had shifted in color. His glasses were shattered.

"As much as I'd like to see you try," chuckled Sky, looking to those standing behind him. "I don't think you can do it…"

"Killing one of you will make all the difference," offered Ty's double. Under the thin hair over his face was his true skin, disgustingly peeling off, even the scales were flaking off.

"And killing _you_ would end everything," snarled Mitch's clone. I was surprised he had made a comeback after the beating Mitch and Jerome had given him, along with Ashley's well placed shot. I could see the blood staining his clothes dark. Snarling, he bared sharp teeth.

Sky chuckled lightly, grinning. Pulling out his golden blade, he readied himself. He pointed the tip forward, toward his mirrored self.

"Come and get me."

The two lines charged. Quentin and I pushed through the crowd, trying to offer any assistance. I could feel Dawn clinging to my shirt back, trying to stay with us. I couldn't imagine what was going through her mind. Everything must seem so clear for the first time, like a fog lifting, but what would I know. What if she was still under control? What if this was all an act? Quentin grabbed my wrist, pulling me through the last cluster of recruits to the front line.

The teams had surprisingly split up, refusing to take on their double. After watching the two versions of Mitch fight it out, this was probably to avoid a stalemate. Ty verse anti-Mitch. Ian verse squid TrueMU. Jason against Ty. Mitch easily dealing with the evil Ian. Only the two Skys faced each other, blades clashing, in the center of the conflict. I could see the blood seeping from Sky's hastily patched side. He's wound reopened.

"Adam!" called out Dawn, stepping forward. I pulled her back. I wasn't sure what she was thinking, jumping in.

Sky looked up a moment, meeting her eyes. I could see him smile lightly. He knew. She smiled back, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. They were connected again, reunited. The double took advantage of this distraction, swinging his blade across Sky's chest, cutting open his suit and quickly drawing blood. Sky let out a yelp, biting down on his lip as he stumbled back. Dawn gasped, struggling against my defense.

"Pay attention!" ordered the double, taking another swing. Sky blocked the blade but the double kicked forward, knocking Sky down. The golden blade scattered across the floor, barely staying within reach.

"Adam!"

Everything seemed to slow down. Dawn broke free of me, running forward. I reached out for her but she moved faster than expected. Sky reached for his blade, eyes turning away for just a moment to reach. The double raised his dark sword and brought it down sharp. Sky spun around, blade in hand to block but it was already too late. Dawn had already stopped the blade. Even the clone seemed shocked by her sudden appearance and the newly placed blade in her chest. She gasped for air softly, falling to her knees. No one moved. No one spoke. It was as if time stood still for that moment.

"Shame," mumbled the clone, grabbing the handle of his sword. "I mean no disrespect, my queen, but to give your life for these air breathers…"

"Why you son of a…" Sky snarled, holding onto Dawn as she slowly fell downward. "Dawn…stay with me…"

"Nothing personal," remarked the clone, again raising his blade. "All part of the plan…"

There was twing, a quick brush of air, and then the stifled gasp as the clone acknowledge the arrow now lodged in shoulder. He lowered his weapon, reaching around and pulling the arrow from his shoulder blade. He spun around, snarling fangs. With another twang, another arrow lodged into him, this time directly into his forehead. He choked a little, dropping his sword. Another arrow, this time in the chest. The clone stumbled back.

I watched the crowd part as another arrow flew. I should've known who it would be and yet I was surprised to see Ashley step forward, readying another arrow. Her face was stone, staring forward, no emotion and yet her eyes burned with a fire of anger, the like I'd never seen. She fired again, adding another arrow to the clone's chest. His eyes were glassy as he took a step forward. He reached out as if looking for aid before completely collapsing. Blood began pooling. For extra measure, Ashley fired another shot.

Silence fell again. All eyes were either on Ashley, the dying clone, or Sky as he held Dawn. No one moved for a moment. Eventually, Ty stepped forward, kneeling by Sky and placing a hand on his shoulder. Sky bit his lip, mumbling softly down to her. She was smiling, looking up at him. She raised her hand, brushing his cheek. Quentin stepped past me, going to Sky's side, and I blindly followed him.

"Dawn…please," whimpered Sky, hand tightening around hers on his cheek. "I just got you back…"

"Shh," she hushed him. "It's okay…"

"I can't lose you again…I need you."

"I don't think…you've needed me…for a while…"

"Please…"

"Adam…" her faint smile faded as she looked up at him. "He's coming…something big…"

"I know. I know…Please hold on…" He looked up at Ty. "Do we have anything? Potions? Apples?"

"None left," whispered Ty. He looked away. Sky turned back to Dawn.

"Don't worry." She smiled again. "I know…you can do it…"

I could see her eyes drift, looking around. For a moment, they looked directly as me as she repeated herself. _You can do it_. Her breath with labored but growing softer. Sky pulled her closer, tighter. There was so much blood between the two of them. I'm surprised Sky hadn't passed out yet. More important things so worry about.

"I love you…" Sky sighed, kissing her on the forehead.

"I…" Dawn's voice was soft, hardly heard. Her mouth moved but I heard nothing. Her hand slowly fell. Her breathing stopped. Silence.


	24. Changing Tides

A/N

So close...to finishing...this damn series...just need to write...the epilogue...and the entire final book. Why did I plan to this shit to be so long...

Chapter 23: Changing Tides

There were no squid survivors. Those that tried to flee from the fight didn't make it far, dying for their wounds or from degeneration. The farthest one had made it outside, fallen just outside the base's elevator. He looked like he'd been crawling, struggling to continue but failed. It was almost sad.

Dawn and all those within our ranks that died were buried at the base of the tree. Each was given an elaborate headstone, marked with beautiful calligraphy detailing their names, dates of birth and death along with a caption about them. Dawn's included an engraving of the sun rising above the water. I wasn't sure if that was Sky's idea or someone else's. Nonetheless, it looked beautiful.

I found myself standing there, right in front of her grave, just staring. I couldn't focus my thoughts on any one thing. I kept thinking about the past, everything that led up to this. I thought about the friends I've made and the other graves standing before me. I thought about Jerome and Mitch, Quentin, Ty and eventually ending on Seto. I couldn't help but think that he knew all this was coming and that something even bigger was on the horizon. Something he never told us and something that would change things. Maybe that's why he left.

"How's the wrist?"

I hardly noticed Sky come up next to me. His suit was stitched up, new glasses and missing his necklace. He seemed to be smiling but I don't think it was real. I think it was a sympathy smile, one to make the other person feel better, something to use to make everyone think everything's going to be okay in the end. If I could see his eyes, I expected them to be red and tired. It'd been a while since I saw Sky's eyes unhindered.

"Better," I offered, raising my bandaged wrist.

"Nothing against Cliff and Fia," he shrugged, rolling his shoulder a few more times, "but their potions don't pack the same punch as Seto's."

"Yeah…"

"How you holding up?"

"I should be asking you…"

He paused, nodding. He looked up at the trees intertwining, merging with the base. He let out a deep sigh.

"Just…trying to stay focused," he whispered. "Everything has been so fast paced recently, it's been hard to keep up."

"No kidding," I chuckled.

"I don't think it's over yet, though."

His tone turned serious, the kind that I was growing used to. I remembered the first time I heard it, the change in tone from his once happy-go-lucky persona to the leader. He sighed again, lowering his head back to the graves.

"I think this was only the beginning. Phase one…" he continued. "Well, more like a phase two or three at this point, considering Peterson and Hammerston and…the Nether."

"Herobrine…" the name left my lips, leaving a nasty taste in my mouth. He didn't seem real like that had happened ages ago.

"He's up to something. Something big," Sky nodded. He chuckled softly. "He sees as a threat though."

"What?"

He looked at me, glasses slightly tilted down. They were red. He winked.

"You don't send an army to deal with someone you aren't afraid of," he hummed. "He didn't just send an army, he sent clones _and_ a dead girlfriend! He really wanted to throw up for a loop. There's a reason for that. There has to be."

I nodded. He seemed to be beaming, hands on his hips and chin upward.

"Herobrine attacked the Sky Army and not Yogscast!" He cheered. "Take that, Brindle!"

He fist-bumped the air before wincing in pain and placing a hand to his chest. Sore. It was likely still a recently wound, likely to reopen if he wasn't careful. The potion he'd taken helped close it faster and prevented him for further damage but it was still considered recent. He rubbed his chest a little, sighing for a third time.

"So," he mumbled. "Things move on…" He placed a hand on my shoulder. "We move forward."

"Right," I smiled. Sympathy smile. He nodded.

"You've got plenty of people to talk to around here," he chimed, walking away. "Don't hold anything in. Trust me!"

He offered a wave as he left, reentering the tree. My smile faded once he'd left, and my eyes rested upon the graves again. Something bigger was coming. Herobrine was coming. Sky was right that he was afraid of something, something with the Sky Army. I wasn't sure if he was afraid of the army itself or someone within, like Sky or the other officers. I closed my eyes, thinking of the confinements Herobrine put me in when we were in the Nether. Hammerston was told to release me. Dawn told me he wanted me. I opened my eyes, looking up. Herobrine wasn't attacking the army. He was attacking me…


	25. Epilogue

A/N

One book left. The book I planned years ago, forgot about, and now completely rewrote in my head. The ending. To anyone still here, look for the eventual posting of the final book: The Story of Jane.

Epilogue

The night was deep, leaving darkness all around. The security feeds twitched, cameras tilting and watching the empty halls. Silence. I wish it had been brighter, something warm and comforting, and yet, it was after midnight when I awoke from yet another nightmare. This one was far too real and close, I could still feel the heat on my skin. Things were starting to make sense, and I had to make a difficult choice. I wanted to wake Ashley, but decided not to. I wish I had. Maybe she could've talked me out of it.

I stepped through the halls, footsteps echoing in the nothingness. I had my backpack, packed with spare clothes and my personal blade slung across my waist. I took the elevator down to the floor, watching the doors open into vast darkness. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Why did this feel so wrong?

"I didn't expect you to leave so soon…"

I knew the voice and somehow wasn't surprised to see the shadows part around Seto's purple frame. He looked down on me, eyes glittering with magic. I wanted to yell at him, hit him, fight him for leaving us when we needed him most, point out all the graves, the lives that could've been saved if he had been there, but then again, I didn't know if he's presence would've make any difference.

"Do I have a choice?" I whispered.

"You always have a choice."

"In this, I don't think I do…"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry to not have told you sooner."

"I don't think I would've taken it well…"

"I could not distract you or them."

Them. I thought about each person I was leaving behind, lingering on Ashley, Mitch and Jerome. It hurt. Seto offered his hand. This was my choice. I knew what was going to happen, but how I entered and exited was dependent on this point. I could go back to bed and pretend nothing had happened, but I knew that wasn't a real option. There was no going back.

I took Seto's hand, and we disappeared into the night, as if we'd never been there.


End file.
